Hey Kids, Comics! #186 - Tarzan of the Comics

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Heyyyayyayyyaayyayyayyyayyyyyyyyyyyyyy Kids, Comics!


The mysterious sounds emanating from the primeval forests of Africa mingle into a symphony of the beautiful and the deadly.  Into this unexplored jungle Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston dare to press forward on a safari of discovery.  Their quarry is none other than Edgar Rice Burroughs' most famous creation.  The Lord of the Jungle himself, Tarzan!


The ubiquitous ape-man is such a part of the cultural vernacular that it is little wonder that Tarzan has a long and rich history in comic books.  In honor of a combination of Cole's decades long affection for the English aristocrat voted most likely to really pull off the doe-skin loin cloth look and the arrival in theaters last Friday of The Legend of Tarzan, this issue of the show heeds the call of the wild(s of Africa)!

It is important to have a capable guide when mounting such an expedition and your hosts are duly outfitted with the help of their amazing guest, comic book and movie historian, prolific author, and gentleman scholar Michael H. Price!  So gather your spear, your bow and arrows, your grass rope, and your father's hunting knife and join in on the journey into the realm of Tarzan in comics!



The Rantcor Pit #50 - The First Time Ever I Saw Star Wars

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As the Episode 1 trailer said, "Every Journey Has a First Step..."


This unique episode of The Rantcor Pit takes advantage of the milestone number to explore the entree into Star Wars of a number of different individuals.  


The initial exposures ran the gamut from movie theater screens in 1977 to borrowed VHS tapes!  Cole "JediCole" Houston is your guide on a quest to discover that one special moment where Star Wars was discovered by eleven different people.

 This episode, by the way, weighs in at nearly three hours in length!

(Note:  Eddie Medina's voice is not heard in the interviews for this episode as he was enjoying the Fourth of July holiday and deserves some time away from "The Pit" as well!) 

A special JCU thank you to Andy, Brett, Chris, DeNae, Devin, Dustin, Erin, Kelly, PJ, Stu, and Tim for joining me on this memorable journey!  -  JediCole

The Rantcor Pit Live #48 - Draw or Draw Not...There Is No Try

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And so it begins!  At last!   The long overdue catching up period for The Rantcor Pit Live starts here and will end in the coming days as the episodes of the show that have been carefully archived by Eddie are published on the JCU site, one or two per day, until they are finally back on their bi-weekly schedule. - JediCole

Welcome to an "artful" episode of The Rantcor Pit Live that was the first show to stream from the temporary new studio location in Dallas.

 Hosts Cole "JediCole" Houston and Eddie Medina - along with the the Talk Lord of the Sith, Zach Schrotter - discuss Star Wars fan art and artists.  

 Joined on this outing by DFW artist and Rantcor semi-regular Thomas Branch and fellow DFW artist Jeremy Megert.

Hey Kids, Comics! #185 - You Don't Mess With the Batmans!

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The Dark Knight.  The Caped Crusader.  The Bat.  Gotham's champion is known by many names.  He is also known for his tenacity in all things, most especially his war on crime!

Despite the presence of its grim protector, many a villain has chosen to make a career out of challenging Batman's mettle or his mental capacity - sometimes both.  In the end the Dark Knight is universally triumphant, but it comes at tremendous cost to his psyche.  Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston take on the difficult task of understanding Batman and his relentless desire to put down every criminal in Gotham.  


 While always successful at putting down his foes, Batman's rogues gallery continues to emerge again.  And Batman pushes back with every resource at his command.  Learn all about both sides of this Bat-equation and answer for yourself the question of just how batty is "the Batman"?




And now, the inspiration for this issue...

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Returns Sunday, June 26, 2016!

Bobby Blakey, master of martial and cartooning arts, has been busily plying his fighting skills while juggling the publication of his amazing comic book series Keepers of the Dawn.  As a result, JCU Sunday Funnies has taken a brief hiatus that will conclude this Sunday! - JediCole

Hey Kids, Comics! #184 - The Doctor Is In or (Under a Banana Flavored Sun)

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There are doctors and there are doctors.  In comics there are even "doctors".  As any comic fan knows, there is always a doctor in the house when it comes to the heroes and villains that people your favorite comic titles.
Demonicus, Regulus, Weird, Alchemy, and Octopus!  Oh my!
Hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston make the rounds with more doctors than your local hospital.  From the obvious players like good ol' Doc' Ock' to the more obscure like Howard the Duck's own Doctor Bong.  (As in the sound of a bell, not THAT kind of bong!)  From real doctors who become super-heroes and villains to those who add a level of cool to their sobriquet by virtue of a tack-on title, there were plenty of characters from which to choose.
Andrew's Favorite Mystics
Scientists, M.D.s, professors, and more have gone into heroism or villainy without utilizing the title they spent so much time in the halls of academia to achieve while others just couldn't drop the doctorate.  Others favored Doctor over "Mister" or "Count" or "Master of" in their name.  With such a volume of doctors to choose from, the field had to be narrowed, but nearly all get at least a mention.

Doing their "doctor thing" to varied effect.
Find out which comic book doctors your hosts like best.  Learn about the hero/villain doctor community.  Discover which well known master of the monologue would make a great patient for a certain super-hero psychoanalyst, what villains sought doctoral degrees, and why Dr. Strange turned his back on medicine.  No, really.

 So make an appointment now to see the doctors because all of them are really "in"!


Oh yeah, you thought of this, too!

The Rantcor Pit #49 - Mythic Proportions: The Lightsaber Excalibur

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The legend (or legends) continue!  On the last regular episode of The Rantcor Pit, hosts Cole Houston and Eddie Medina finalize the two-part exploration of the mythological elements that can be found within the Star Wars Saga.


 Special guest Kelly "Kelly of the Lake" Long returns to the show to add her special brand of knowledge of the Classics to the proceedings.  Episode 7 becomes the focal point of a look at that film through the lens of the folkloric King Arthur Cycle.

The legendary greatest king of England's own rich history lends itself nicely to analogues that occur in The Force Awakens, even if solely by accident.  Such is the nature of the mythology of contemporary society.  What parallels await?  Listen and discover for yourself, friends!  


Hey Kids, Comics! #183 - Fail Hydra!

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While Hey Kids, Comics! is not exactly the source for breaking comics news, next week's upcoming issues of interest, or the next big scoop in the industry, every now and then something comes along that needs coverage right away, in the moment.  Such is the case with the "Captain America was a Hydra agent all along!!!" revelation.
"I love it when a plan comes together...75 years later!"
Hosts Andrew Farmer and (especially) Cole Houston share thoughts, insights, and even disdain in an issue-length discussion of Steve Rogers:  Captain America.  Flash in the pan cash grab or a genuine universe-shattering event?  The latest internet sweetheart of comics has spawned many a click-bait article and Facebook meme, so the HKC! boys felt it needed to be examined for substance.

Love or hate this new twist on Marvel's oldest and most famous hero, you are bound to find this one of the most engaging episodes of the show in its history.  JediCole's in depth justification for Hydra's master stroke alone is worth the price of admission!
"It'll be SO worth it!"

The Rantcor Pit "Yo Joe!" Toy Show Extravaganza Special

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Better late than never!  

 On Sunday, June 12, 2016, Cole Houston and Eddie Medina recorded a podcast at the DFW G.I. Joe and Action Figure Show in Grapevine, TX.  

Eddie was selling his art at the show, which provided space for a live recording of the podcast you are about to hear.  He and Cole were joined by his wife Colleen (of "Figments") along with special guests Jeff McGee and Taylor Lymbery of "Talking Toys With Taylor and Jeff".  

 And talk toys they did!  

Hey Kids, Comics! #182 - Summer Fun 2016: This Answers Everything

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After a rather heavy story arc, it is time for Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston to join the masses of comic fans on the internet who are just lookin' for answers...
When the need for answers to the burning questions "who would win in a fight between?", "which super hero is the smartest?", or even "which publisher is better, DC or Marvel?" it seems many turn to Yahoo! Answers!  This modern Oracle of Delphi acts as a beacon of (potential) truth to the weary traveler on the road to understanding comics.


And so it came to pass that Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston arrived to glean from this publicly sourced font of knowledge to find inspiration for week's issue of the show.  


Enjoy a carefully selected blend of comic book related questions posed to the denizens of the internet via Yahoo and discover what Andy and Cole have to say in response as well as a sampling of the actual answers that each query received.




Hey Kids, Comics! #181 - Comic Book Capers: The Curious Case of Anthony Chiofalo

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Welcome to the end of Comic Book Capers!  In this final chapter your hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston take a look at one of the oddest criminal cases that you could possibly imagine.

What begins as an embezzlement scheme descends into madness, obsession...and comics!  

This is the story of Anthony Chiofalo, his crimes, and his strange approach to spending his ill-gotten gains.  This includes some of the rarest and most expensive comics known.  But his story is just part of the the larger story of embezzled funds, inexplicable laundering, delusion, and temptation.

This is a story within a story full of mystery and crime that you simply do not want to miss!  Bid farewell to the latest story arc in the best way possible with the odd tale that inspired all four issues that preceded this one. 


The Rantcor Pit #48 – Mythic Proportions: Finding Mythos

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Could it be true or is it just a myth?  The Rantcor Pit is back?! 


Yes indeed, after two months on hiatus due to multiple scheduling conflicts, Cole “JediCole” Houston and Eddie Medina have returned to the simple tricks and nonsense that they have been away from for far too long!  So long in fact that the “One End of This Galaxy to the Other” story arc has been abandoned in favor of another.  It has simply been too long ago that the momentum was in place for that discussion.  It will likely be revived at some point in the future.


Instead your intrepid Star Wars fanboys class the joint up a bit as this show rapidly approaches its milestone 50th episode with the help of special guest (and classical mythology maven) Kelly Long.  The connections, analogues, and other hints of classical mythology and folklore are the topic of conversation.  This trio digs deep into both the Original Trilogy and the Prequel Trilogy to find connections with the stories of the ancients. 



Jumping off from Joseph Campbell’s observation that the Star Wars Saga becomes the mythology of contemporary civilization, this episode explores aspects of the films never touched on by the author.  Where do set pieces like Jabba’s Palace fit into the framework of the Classics?  Do Episodes 1 through 3 have any such connections to the lore of the Ancients?  These and other aspects of the Saga that related to mythology are explored in the first part of a mythic pair of episodes.


Hey Kids, Comics! #180 - Comic Book Capers: Comic Book Heroes

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The "Comic Book Capers" arc continues, and on schedule!

Welcome to the latest issue of HKC! in which crime, litigation, and other legal matters as they pertain to comics has been the order of the day for the last several shows.  

Things take a different turn as the arc draws toward its conclusion with a look at some "good guys" in the industry.  Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston take a look at some more positive stories surrounding the law (and those who stand up for the rights of artists and retailers) and so much more.
Enjoy this unique look at some of the true heroes of comics, the real world heroes that have made a difference in the lives of comic professionals and fans alike!


Hey Kids, Comics! #179 - Comic Book Capers: The Copyists

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Andy and Cole are Back!

 And they brought the "Lost Arc" with them!  Yes, it is true, the latest story arc, "Comic Book Capers" has been on a lengthy hiatus and now returns with the middle chapter.  Thank you for sticking with us as we muddled through getting everything back in gear as well as dealing with some technical issues that are slowly being resolved.  (No more degraded links to the shows, in other words!)
Counterfeit Darwyn Cooke "original art" sold recently on eBay.
Join the fun as your hosts pick up the tale of real life comic book crime discussing the theft of artists' work in a uniquely modern fashion.  This issue is all about the various would-be artists who take a huge creative shortcut in achieving a dream for which they lack the talent and the patience.
Thomas Branch's Cassandra Kane redesign and target of a design theif.
Dallas-based comic artist and print illustrator Thomas Branch joins the show with a story of his own art being pilfered for the gain of another and brings ample insight into the phenomenon.  Other artists' work being copied, either by self aggrandizing wannabes online or by those who simply download images they can alter enough to pretend the work is their own is the topic at hand and proved a meaty one indeed.
An example of Texas artist Chris "Oz" Fulton's  art co-opted by a non-artist.

Hey Kids, Comics!/Whadjathink? Crossover - Captain America: Civil War

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Technical difficulties leading to the loss of half of the latest issue of Hey Kids, Comics! have forced a postponement of the story arc (again).  In the mean time we are proud to present the second summer crossover movie review event of 2016!
Do you like the Captain America?


 Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston are joined for the second time this "Summer Blockbuster Season" by Mrs. JediCole for a crossover discussion on just that topic.  Or at least that topic as it pertains to the latest Marvel movie, Captain America:  Civil War!

The long-awaited return of the Winter Soldier is the catalyst for the action in this contender for the top spot in box office receipts.  With a huge cast, a massive budget, and a whole lot of action, it has to be something spectacular.  Right?

Find out if your podcast hosts felt that way as they discuss and explore the plot and the action.  Did this latest installment of the franchise find favor?  Did it falter ore was it most satisfying?  There is one good way to find out, you know...