The Rantcor Pit #43 - The Altruistic Side of the Force

Note:  This episode of The Rantcor Pit was recorded on Sunday, November 8, 2015.  It heavily references the story of Daniel Fleetwood, the Star Wars fan granted his dying wish to see The Force Awakens before its official release in theaters.  I read this morning that Mr. Fleetwood died in his sleep overnight.  Eddie and I respectfully dedicate this episode to his memory. - JediCole

At its best, fandom of any kind goes above and beyond simply devoting time and money to celebrating its particular focus.  This has certainly proven true of Star Wars fandom over the years as groups large and small have utilized that Galaxy Far, Far Away as a vehicle to do good for others!

On this episode of The Rantcor Pit, hosts Cole Houston and Eddie Medina  discuss fan outreach and charitable projects.  From well known personalities like R2-KT to the many fund raisers and assistance campaigns spearheaded by the 501^st Legion and other groups. 

There is a veritable galaxy of stories out there about fans coming together for fellow fans or for others in need who are not necessarily Star Wars fans themselves.  Millions of dollars have been raised over the last few decades and easily millions of lives have been touched by the efforts of fans, costumers, and others who have expressed their largess via Star Wars. 

Fund raising  Rebels, Stormtroopers, and Mandalorians to name a few have aided children and adults in need.  The unique comfort that an Imperial “invasion” of a children’s hospital can bring inspire us all.  Star Wars fans show have a lot of heart and illustrate this in so many ways.  Sometimes a helping hand just happens to be wearing Darth Vader’s glove!

Hey Kids, Comics! #156 - Toylandia: Toys 'R' Super

Guess what JediCole forgot to publish on Friday?

Comic books and toys.  The two seem to be an inevitable pairing.  Rendering popular comic book characters in the form of three dimensional playthings has been a partnership over nearly all of the history of both mediums.  With this in mind, Hey Kids, Comics! proudly invites you to visit our newly established capital of this marriage of pop-culture collectibles, Toylandia!

Your guides through this fanciful realm are none other than Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston.  As this latest story arc begins, they explore the presence, history, and influence of Superman on toys and action figures.  As easily the first super-hero to be thus immortalized, the Last Son of Krypton’s impact can be felt across most of the chapters of this arc.  

From early tin toys to the modern high-end, cloth costume, multiple points of articulation action figures, Superman’s trademark “S”, in all of its stylized incarnations, has been a major part of many a toy line from many a manufacturer.  So take an hour to enjoy an exploration of the Man of Steel made man of plastic.  Or tin.  Or wood.

The Rantcor Pit Live #41 – It’s In the Cards

Welcome to the latest (archived) episode of The Rantcor Pit Live!  This episode aired live on Deep Ellum on Air on Sunday, November 1, 2015.

Since 1977 the Topps trading card company has been an important part of licensed Star Wars collectibles.  With the arrival of the first wax packs of cards (with bubble gum no less), fans young and old could amass a variety of rare images from the film in trading card form.

Cole Houston and Eddie Medina share their own experiences as collectors of Topps cards from Star Wars through Return of the Jedi and beyond.  They are joined in this endeavor by the VegaBomber, PJ Dunn.  Some of the more unique cards, stickers, and innovations (including one of a kind sketch cards) are presented and discussed.  The latest Topps series, Journey to the Force Awakens, is also revealed and reviewed! 

While Topps was not the only player in the trading card game, they were the oldest and most prolific licensee to produce wave after wave of trading cards based on the Saga.  Other trading card releases, and even POGs become part of this show that is all about the enduring nature of the trading card, especially those that give fans a piece of the movie series they love.  All of that and a whole lot of "Fun With Star Wars"!

Join a trio of cards as they talk about trading cards today...

The Rantcor Pit Live 11-01-15 by DeepEllumOnAir

Hey Kids, Comics! #155 - Here There Be Monsters!

Hey Kids, Halloween!  Well, tomorrow anyway, but why wait?

Welcome to the latest issue of Hey Kids, Comics! and a very special one at that!

Having passed the 150 episode milestone (over and above Annuals), Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston are proud to present an issue that is all about the place of monsters in comics.  From the outset horror and monsters have been very much a part of the four color mythos.  As the "monster holiday" fast approaches it seemed an ideal time to explore the dark corners of comic books past and present.

Joining your hosts this week is a very special guest indeed!  Comic creator and historian, musician, author, and all around font of pop-culture knowledge Michael H. Price lent HKC! his time for one of the most memorable episodes to date.  This issue delves into one of the most prevalent genres of comics with someone who has been in involved with the medium as everything from reader to publisher to writer and more.

You can find Michael H. Price's many publications on Amazon, click HERE to check them out and buy his amazing work!

The Rantcor Pit #42 - Collect All 10: Figures Sold Separately

A long time ago, but not in a galaxy far, far away, the first Star Wars toys arrived on the scene.  Since then thousands have followed, making the topic of this episode all the more daunting for your hosts!

Concluding "Collect All 10", Cole Houston and Eddie Medina talk about their own personal best when it comes to Star Wars toys other than action figures.   If you missed out on the previous two episodes, be sure and give them a listen for some insights on the Vintage and contemporary action figures that preceded the current run of Episode VII toys.  This time, however, it is about everything else ever made.  Well, ten toys from that category, anyway. 

But how does one reduce hundreds upon hundreds of choices to a mere five?  That was a question heavy on the minds of The Rantcor Pit's hosts as they shared their favorites.

Find out exactly which ten toys made the cut, along with some back story on each, as Cole and Eddie fondly express their love of these great collectibles.  From action figure-related vehicles and playsets to a unique piece from the 70s, there was so much to talk about that this episode runs over an hour in length!  

Photos feature the collection of Cole "JediCole" Houston

Hey Kids, Comics! #154 - Time Out

Take a moment to give some of your time to the exploration of comics past, present and future as Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston challenge time itself!

More accurately they delve into those who truly do rail against chronology within the comics.  Time travelers!  No comic book universe is truly complete without one.  And some have more than their fair share.  

In defiance of the inevitability of anomalies, a veritable legion of time travelers people the comics we love, wreaking havoc or righting wrongs.  Heroes and villains alike have leaped from their present to antiquity or the frontiers of tomorrow utilizing their own inherent powers or creations of advanced science.  

Your hosts took a timely journey into time with explorations of the multi-faceted king of the Marvel time travelers, who's got the best means of moving through the ages, and why time travel is more often not the best plot device out there.  All this and more because if you've go the time, we've got the Hey Kids, Comics!

The Rantcor Pit Live #40 - Galactic Games II

Let the Games...BEGIN!

Welcome to a special episode of The Rantcor Pit Live as originally aired on Sunday, October 18, 2015.  Eddie Medina was off the show to appear in the Artist Alley at the Dallas Comic Con Fan Days, so Cole took the opportunity to bring back the game show that Eddie created in his absence last July.  

With a series of challenging questions in a variety of categories, contestants Catherine "Mrs. JediCole" Houston, Jason McLean, Hunter Duesing, and Matt Rox tested there Star Wars mettle.  From character recognition to behind the scenes knowledge, few were the questions that went unanswered.  The new feature, Fun With Star Wars, also returned.

So without further ado, The JediCole Universe, in association with Deep Ellum on Air and One-Eyed Joe Media presents the second Galactic Games!


The Rantcor Pit 2015-10-18 by DeepEllumOnAir

Hey Kids, Comics! #153 - Sing a Song of Comics

There is music in the air, there is music everywhere, there is music in your comics!

Wait, what?  Yes, that's right!  Music in your comics!  Hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston ask you to follow the bouncing ball as they explore the links between music and comics as well as comics and music.

From the Teen Titan's own garage band to the comic book dominance of KISS, there was so much to talk about (or sing about) on this subject that special musical consultant Hunter Duesing of Midnight Movie Cowboys was brought in for this special issue of the show.

So prepare yourself for a journey in song, an exploration in a musical vein, and the rhythmic tones of Andrew, Cole, and Hunter as they sing a song of comics!

The Rantcor Pit #41 - Collect All 10, Too

Well, that took some doing!  There were issues downloading this episode of the show, but it cooperated at last nearly a week late!  We hope that you enjoy the show, even very late.

Do you like the Star Wars...action figures?

Two weeks after hosts Cole Houston and Eddie Medina shared their favorites from the nearly 100 action figures produced between 1978 and 1985 by Kenner, they seek to define their personal top five from the hundreds that followed beginning in 1995!  

With so many figures to choose from over the years it was a monumental task to limit the conversation to a mere five action figures each.  To soften the blow a bit, figures from The Force Awakens were excluded from the mix.

So discover what modern Star Wars figures that are favored by Eddie and Cole as well as the stories behind them.  Plus Honorable Mention figures from both the Vintage and modern line!

Photos from the collection of Cole "JediCole" Houston

Hey Kids, Comics! #152 - A Wolf Pack of One

Heroes Who Go Solo

That is the focus of this week's issue of Hey Kids, Comics! in which your hosts explore the dynamic of taking the law into your own hands...by yourself!

Marvel, DC, and indeed most comic publishers with super-heroes have had their share of loners.  Face it, some heroes are just better off on their own.  So your non-loner hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston have taken it upon themselves to explore the drives and dynamics of going it alone.  

Many are the heroes who choose the lonesome path, but why?  What drives them to this approach and why have so many gone on to join teams, thus depleting the pool of genuine solo heroes?  Thes and other questions are posed and discussed at length.  Even the question of who might need to consider a solo career rather than being a serial "team player" is raised! 

Image of "loners" compiled prior to recording and does not necessarily reflect heroes discussed on the show.

The Rantcor Pit Live #39 - A Death Star is Born

This episode of the live show originally aired on Sunday, October 4, 2015 live from Dallas, TX.

Your favorite Star Wars guys are back again live from Deep Ellum on Air!  How do they follow up an entire episode on the subject of Hammerhead?  Why with an episode about the Death Star of course!  Don't see the connection?  Well, there is not one, actually.

None the less, Cole "JediCole" Houston and Eddie Medina proudly spend their hour on the live show talking about one of the most iconic space stations in science fiction history.  It is certainly among the most recognizable aspects of the Star Wars universe.  So if there was just one weapon worth talking about for a whole show, it would have to be the Empire's "technological terror"!

So be sure to watch the show and hear what your hosts have to say on the subject of what is obviously no moon and explore some possible explanations as to why we really needed another Death Star after somebody broke the perfectly good one we started with!  All that and the first installment of "Fun With Star Wars", leading up to an upcoming episode of the audio show, and some insights on making your own "rare" collectible non-Death Star variant toy! 

It turns out that it was a pencil sharpener, not a bank!

The Rantcor Pit LIVE 2015-10-04 by DeepEllumOnAir

Don't forget to send us your vintage Death Star selfies!

Hey Kids, Comics! #151 - HKC! Team-Up #7: The Outsiders

It's time again for Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston to talk up another aspect of comics!  It is also time for another exploration of the super-hero team dynamic with another HKC! Team Up!  This time the spotlight lands on the group that started their joint career as Batman and the Outsiders and would later drop the prefix to be simply The Outsiders.

Batman's personal version of the Justice League would introduce a variety of new heroes and villains to the ever-expanding DC Universe and bring some compelling tales.  Discover this often forgotten group as your hosts share personal memories as well as tales of the team and some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the comic itself. 

From the ever-changing roster of the team to its relaunch (sans Batman) to an interesting revelation about one of  its members, there was plenty to discuss when it came to the Outsiders.  Enjoy this exploration of a team that gathered storied veterans of DC together with brand new players to create some memorable tales of super-heroes banding together for the greater good!

What does THIS have to do with the show?  Find out when  you give it a listen!

The Rantcor Pit #40 - Collect All 10!

It's Rancor Pit time again!  Yes Cole Houston and Eddie Mendina are back with a brand new episode!  Hot on the heels of last week's live show which was all about Hammerhead, your hosts were inspired talk about action figures.  Concentrating on one background character who's first (but by no means last) toy incarnation was a favorite certainly led to this week's topic.

A topic, in fact, so vast that this episode will simply be the first in a three-part series on The Rantcor Pit's favorite Star Wars toys!  Introducing this, your hosts have limited the discussion to their favorite vintage (1977 to 1985) action figures, further limiting it to just five choices each - hence the title!  This proved no small task as there were nearly 100 choices at their disposal and they had to exclude all of the vehicles, playsets, and other accessories of the Kenner line.

Discover for yourself what vintage action figures proved to be Eddie and Cole's favorites as they wax nostalgic about not only the toys themselves, but of their memories of collecting and enjoying the the hunt for the illusive figures in the pre-internet age.

All photos from the collection of JediCole.

Hey Kids, Comics! #150 - The Best Comics WE Ever Read

Hey kids, it's National Comic Book Day!

Welcome at long last to the much-anticipated 150th issue of Hey Kids, Comics!  Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston return from the late summer hiatus to bring you another milestone for this series.  It seemed only fitting to commemorate the event with a look at some comic stories that impressed your hosts.

From single issues to story arcs, and even entire series in a sense, some unique comic tales are discussed.  This very personal issue of the show is intended to inspire listeners to discover the comic stories discussed and perhaps seeking out where the titles went from the point outlined on this show.

Enjoy this follow up to Hey Kids, Comics! Annual #1 and the precursor to the first issue of a new series as Cole and Andy wax nostalgic about (some of) the best comics they ever read.

The Rantcor Pit Live #38 - Hammer Time!

This episode of The Rantcor Pit Live originally aired live on Deep Ellum on Air on Sunday, September 20, 2015.

When it comes to Star Wars characters, being at the forefront or having a tonnage of screen time are not necessarily prerequisites to becoming  a fan favorite.  Boba Fett made quite the splash with limited time on the big screen and even more limited dialogue after all!  Of course his introduction via the otherwise cringe-worthy Holiday Special did help boost the bounty hunter’s mystique.  Then there are the breakaway background characters.  One of the most unusual, eye-catching, and indeed popular began life in fandom simply as “Hammerhead”.

Momaw Nadon (aka Hammerhead) becomes the focus of a special edition of The Rantcor Pit Live as hosts Cole Houston and Eddie Medina pay tribute to the Ithorian visitor to Mos Eisley.  For JediCole the topic is especially close to his heart as he showcases his love of the curious alien through the medium of his ever-growing collection of Hammerhead memorabilia.  Eddie is not far behind in considering Momaw as easily his second favorite behind Greedo.  Even their guest, Catherine “Mrs. JediCole” Houston had some personal observations to share.

So is it possible to fill an entire hour of a Star Wars podcast with a single Cantina alien as the subject matter?  Of course it is!  Especially when it is everyone’s favorite Ithorian.  A character so popular in fact that he has enjoyed multiple incarnations as an action figure, two collectible mini-busts, and a variety of other cool collectibles.  Plus the discussion is not limited to this single representative of the Ithorian race!  Roron Corobb, the Jedi of this species, as well as other notable representatives outside of film and television wind up in the mix.  When it comes to Star Wars alien popularity, you “can’t touch this!”

Hey Kids, Comics! Will Return on Friday! Here Comes #150!

Owing to everything from work schedules to illness to time away on vacation, your HKC! hosts have had a roller coaster couple of weeks and as a result have not delivered on the 150th issue that has been promised.

Rather than present something "just to get it out there", or worse yet, have an Assistant Editor's Month, Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston have opted to get rested, get well, and get their asses in gear to knock out the best sesquicentennial episode of this show possible!

We will return on Friday, September 25, 2015 with The Best Comic WE Ever Read, a precursor to the upcoming HKC! Quarterly, a new double-sized show to be produced four times a year! 

The Rantcor Pit #39 - The Force is Strong With This One? (Force Friday, Force Fizzle II)

Friday, September 4, 2015 was Force Friday, the highly anticipated and much promoted official release of the first Episode VII merchandise to retailers worldwide.  On September 3, 2015 The Rantcor Pit co-hosts Cole Houston and Eddie Medina descended on a Dallas/Fort Worth area Wal-Mart to chronicle the collecting feeding frenzy that was to ensue.  Finding that Toy Department ill-prepared, they then took the show on the road to a nearby Toys 'R' Us for further coverage.

On this episode, a follow up to the September 7 edition of The Rantcor Pit Live, your hosts are joined by former Ms. Star Wars Erica Facer as they talk about their experiences during the Force Friday event.  From lackluster preparation to poorly planned stocking-to-demand, many were the down sides to what could have been a memorable event.

Yet the morning did not prove a complete disaster and many a great collectible was obtained during the "midnight run" or later that morning.  Despite poor planning there was much to see and do during the course of the morning and different stores took vastly different approaches from "just another new SKU on the pegs" to thrilling fans and collectors alike.

In addition to this installment of the show, videos taken during the arrival at Wal-Mart and at Toys 'R' Us have been included below that help give a better feel for the excitement that waned at times when so much of the fanfare proved greater than what was provided.

The Rantcor Pit Live #37 - Force Friday, Force Fizzle

Where did Cole get those wonderful toys?!

Welcome to a brand new edition of The Rantcor Pit Live!  This episode aired a mere two days after "Force Friday", the opening salvo of the merchandising onslaught for Episode VII toys, apparel, games, housewares, decor, fabrics, and more.  Did we mention toys?

Hosts Cole "JediCole" Houston and Eddie Medina are joined in the studio of Deep Ellum on Air by none other than returning guest Vegabomer!  This intrepid trio share their experience with the Force Friday release as well as those reported by others online.  A massive "midnight madness" release was promised by Toys R Us, Target, and Wal-Mart and generated tremendous excitement among fans and collectors.

But did the massive three-pronged extravaganza deliver or just become the latest Force Fail?  From the first stop on the journey of The Rantcor Pit's hosts to the brilliant approach taken by the Disney Store in Dallas for their 6 AM Friday launch, the big event had its ups and downs.  For many, more downs than ups.

While only part of the greater tale of Force Friday is told (check out the Sunday, September 13th edition of the prerecorded show for more), there was certainly plenty to discuss on the subject of the massive volume of collectibles dropped into the retail market in one fell swoop!

The Rantcor Pit LIVE 09-06-15 by DeepEllumOnAir

Hey Kids, Comics! #149 - Ask Steve or Alicia

Relationships are tough, especially the romantic kind.  It is worse when your significant other is "married to their job".  But you have to magnify that dozens of times when one half of that equation is a super-hero!

Enter the ultimate love triangle.  Love between two people tempered by the necessities and demands of loving justice!  It is like taking all of the stresses involved with couples where one is in Law Enforcement with the addition of powers and tights!  What brings a "normal" person and a "super" together in the first place? And what keeps them together against all odds?

Hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston take a look at some of the less obvious couplings that are every bit as important in comics as the Superman/Lois Land and Spider-Man/Mary Jane icons.