Seems like this might have come up before, but I can't find a thread, sooo...
Anyone know of some good comics podcasts? I listen to House to Astonish regularly and Word Balloon at times (if the guest is interesting; 50+ min of Jeph Loeb? Fuck right off). What else is good?
And, for that matter, what are some good non-comics podcasts to help me while away the time?
I found House to Astonish on iTunes and I'll let you know what to think. Thanks.
The only one I listen to is Word Balloon, but it all depends on the guest, like you said. For example, I enjoyed the recent Greg Rucka one. And I like it when they go off topic to talk about movies and stuff, like with Fraction and Brubaker.
Listening to Loeb prattle on about his writing techniques sounds like an exercise in masochism.
I am into political podcasts. I don't know if that's your thing. I like On Point w/ Tom Ashbrook, NPR's Story of the Day, Fresh Air, Talk of the Nation Opinion Page, and sometimes The Economist, but that goes over my head ususally. But I am a total NPR abuser.
This American Life has some good storytelling in it. And I listen to the Official Lost podcast. Otherwise, I am looking for recommendations. I tried to find that other podcast thread to no avail.
I wish the audio quality was better for Word Balloon... sometimes it's OK, sometimes it's terrible. And, yeah, I'd rather listen to the Best of Yanni than listen to a protracted Jeph Loeb interview.
House to Astonish is really good, particularly if you like Paul O'Brien, the longtime writer for the X-Axis (now moved over to the If Destroyed blog).
Thanks for the other recommendations. I'm more into sports and comedy podcats, but the political ones might be a nice change of pace.
The only comic one I can listen to is Word Balloon. I think it's because Siuntres is an actual audio professional and therefore knows how to conduct an interview. Too many of them sound like "three assholes in a comic shop with only their narrow agendas" and they don't usually make for good entertainment.
That said, I think some of the audio quality is pretty bad some times and his solution seems to be "turn up the volume" which makes his voice booming - not helpful, either.
And I just listened to the latest "Loeb Report" and I think I've figured him out. His opinions about comics are fascinating and listening to him and John argue is fun. I think Loeb has given up doing his PREACHER and his content doing high profile comics with top artists that sell well. Nevermind them being worth reading or not - the sales charts don't lie. His scripts seem to get worse and worse and the sales haven't budged. Where's his motivation to do anything different? He's not looking to do his ANIMAL MAN or STARMAN - he'll get his Top Artist, pit Best-Selling Character A vs Best-Selling Character B, cameo Best-Selling Character C and collect the check.
Kind of puts him in perspective.
Yeah, I really wanted to listen to the Jason Aaron one, but the audio quality was just terrible. Maybe I'll try again.
So Jeph Loeb is basically the Michael Bay of comics now? I can see that, I suppose.
Yeah, I really wanted to listen to the Jason Aaron one, but the audio quality was just terrible. Maybe I'll try again.
There are some other ones (B Wood) that aren't so hot, either. It kills me, because I'd like to hear these people and it's a mess.
So Jeph Loeb is basically the Michael Bay of comics now? I can see that, I suppose.
Uhh... Yeah. I guess so.
Thank you thank you for the House of Astonish rec. I've listened to three. I have followed Paul on and off on his various websites so I knew he was smart, but Al (hasn't he posted at The V?) is great, too. Two insightful commentators talking about recent news and offering reviews, simple, smart, and fun. The seem to spend a lot of brainpower on some comics I'd've thought were dumb, but more often than not, I'm interested in trying it after their review. And their tastes nicely align with mine and others at WFE.
<< Too many of them sound like "three assholes in a comic shop with only their narrow agendas" and they don't usually make for good entertainment. >>
I have a TiVo and the only comicbook podcast I could find on its listings is iFanboy, so I gave them a shot. Two of the three guys seem to have pretty interesting opinions and tastes, but the three of them together don't really offer any great insight, it's kind of like they're just going through the motions. TRY House to Astonish if you have not already, it sounds like the kind of discussion show you are looking for.
You're welcome.
Yeah, Al pipes up over at the V from time to time.
There's a largely mainstream focus to the reviews, but they tend to have interesting/entertaining things to say about them, so that's more than fine.
And I love the "Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe" feature.
Right, I am slightly frustrated that two guys who clearly understand storytelling don't branch out more and describe Vertigo and indies, but it's unfair to begrudge them of that. They know superheroes really well. They know how to talk about why writers and artists are good or bad at what they do. And they're rather funny. That's good enough to me. It's quite addicting, really. I've already listened to 3 more. I should be all caught up come Sunday.
And I'm already copying their accents in my writing style. Quite, rather.
I have a problem with the self-deprecating "iFanboy" and "Comic-Douche-Bag" (made that up... probably) names because, yeah, I get that they're having fun with it, but usually, they are just obnoxious nerds.
I didn't realize that HtA was Paul and Al. I love Paul's X-book stuff. I'll add them to the list.
I don't mind self-deprecatingly calling myself a nerd, since society labels people who are very involved in serial fiction as nerds, but yeah, I kind of draw the line at "fanboy," because it makes me think of THOSE people. lol
Plus, fanboys (man, I hate that term) tend to be more obsessively concerned about characters and continuity and righteous indignation, where I'd rather follow artists and writers and stories. But, I'm sure I have my fanboy moments. The fact that I follow MU and DCU at age 29 might be "fanboy" enough for some. It's all labels.
To be fair to iFanboy, they can have in-depth discussions about a few things (I thought their comments on how the early, good issues of Final Crisis compared with the later, poor issues were spot-on. Not that level of agreement is a good indicator of good criticism). But there's not much there overall.
I find myself listening mostly to Inkstuds (mostly indy & "art comics" guests- don't think you can get through iTunes), followed by Around Comics (occasional interviews- mostly Image creators, otherwise it's just guys talking about what they read which is often too much about DCU books for my taste but I find the conversation entertaining enough to keep with it and they do cover indy stuff though definifitely not too much of the art comix) and I finally just tried 11 O'Clock Comics which is similar to Around Comics (shares a co-host) without the interviews but seems to cover much more indy/art comix stuff and is also pretty funny. Just found Sidebar which seems to be mostly interviews with comics artists- not too many I'm familiar with but I did listen to the ones with JP Leon and Tommie Lee Edwards just because I like their styles even if I hadn't read many of the boks they've worked on. I cannot stand most of the other comics podcasts I've tried.
Doing podcast interviews on the floor of a convention has to be the worst idea ever. I don't know if the Brian Wood interview was done that way but Siuntres does that quite a bit and the background noise is just too overwhelming for me to tolerate listening to- can't they find a quiet room off the floor or set up in a hotel room after hours?
I'll agree with the notion that Siuntres is a pro and it shows- he asks good questions- but his guests tend too much to mainstream writers for my tastes.
So I've listened to six or seven "House to Astonish" an I generally like it but I don't like the pro-Marvel/anti-DC slant. They say "we've been burned before" an awful lot and their points in regards to this, while clear, don't hold a lot of water. They slagged FINAL CRISIS for having a couple of "crucial" tie-ins and then said that SECRET INVASION did it right (even though it had, what 45+ issues of "SI" issues?)
But it's generally good. Although O'Brien butchering the names of the creators can be pretty distracting.
Yeah, they're not very interested in most DCU stuff, which I just tend to ignore.
I've finished all of the House to Astonish podcasts and generally really enjoyed it, but I totally agree. I don't know why they decided to repeat some of the same rants, as if they haven't gone on those tangents in earlier episodes, and re: FINAL CRISIS, they admitted to not even reading it, so that's just a lot of hot air, really. Personally, I find the DCU and the MU equally incomprehensible and equally accessible, and I find it funny that an expert on X-Men comics can't make heads or tails of DCU events. I think it's a lack of trying, really.
To be fair, they were fairly anti-SECRET INVASION, particularly its ending. I didn't read it, so I can't comment much, but Marvel gets its share of criticism, but the apathy towards DCU makes the podcast uneven.
They mispronounced Ex Machina, too!
I have tried any of these yet, but I will give all four a shot. Thanks!
TO ALL: All four of Joe's recommended podcasts are available on iTunes. And if you want to look at the details of what they offer, there seems to be lots of different types of content. They all look appealing, I'll tell you more after I hear a few.
http://bullpenbulletins.libsyn.com/ (11 O'Clock Comics)
"have tried"
Haven't, I meant.
I proofread, I really do...
I've finished all of the House to Astonish podcasts and generally really enjoyed it, but I totally agree. I don't know why they decided to repeat some of the same rants, as if they haven't gone on those tangents in earlier episodes, and re: FINAL CRISIS, they admitted to not even reading it, so that's just a lot of hot air, really. Personally, I find the DCU and the MU equally incomprehensible and equally accessible, and I find it funny that an expert on X-Men comics can't make heads or tails of DCU events. I think it's a lack of trying, really.
That's pretty much my point. They go on and on about how "impenetrable" the DCU but they cut Marvel a lot of slack. It takes a lot away from their opinions when they slag FC but haven't read it. It's like me saying "War of the Kings" is 'rubbish' even though I haven't read a page.
To be fair, they were fairly anti-SECRET INVASION, particularly its ending. I didn't read it, so I can't comment much, but Marvel gets its share of criticism, but the apathy towards DCU makes the podcast uneven.
They basically criticized SI's pacing and plotting more than anything else. They seemed to think it was generally a good idea which didn't go anywhere, which I would agree with. They tore FLASH: REBIRTH apart - not because it wasn't well done, but because they didn't see the point of it - which is the easy way out. But, they didn't trash everything... because they loved DARK REIGN: ELEKTRA.
...
Yeah.
They mispronounced Ex Machina, too!
I know! I've been listening during my commute and yelling, "speak english, you bastards!"
>> That's pretty much my point. They go on and on about how "impenetrable" the DCU but they cut Marvel a lot of slack. It takes a lot away from their opinions when they slag FC but haven't read it. It's like me saying "War of the Kings" is 'rubbish' even though I haven't read a page. <<
I'm pretty sure they (or O'Brien) at least reviewed the first issue.
I think there's value in someone approaching things like the DCU from an outsider's perspective. Nor do they slam everything - they were perfectly happy to sing the praises of BATMAN & ROBIN. But I agree that it's not entirely fair to slam the entire project without having read all of it... but people form opinions based on an initial impression all the time. I also think they're fairly upfront about the fact that people who are into the DCU will probably like DCU books more than them, nor do they pretend that Marvel books are necessarily that much more accessible. I know O'Brien usually mentions how incredibly insular X-MEN LEGACY is in every review.
>> They basically criticized SI's pacing and plotting more than anything else. They seemed to think it was generally a good idea which didn't go anywhere, which I would agree with. They tore FLASH: REBIRTH apart - not because it wasn't well done, but because they didn't see the point of it - which is the easy way out. But, they didn't trash everything... because they loved DARK REIGN: ELEKTRA. <<
I liked ELEKTRA more than FLASH: REBIRTH, too. DR: ELEKTRA isn't terribly ambitious, but the first issue did what it set out to do well enough.
OK, I read FLASH: REBIRTH #1, so I feel like I can comment here. Their approach to that review is consistent with any MU or DCU creative decision that involves digging up distant past events to tell stories. Seriously, Barry Allen died in something like 1986. Why should a modern audience care? It seems like a pet project of editorial and/or creators. All that said, FLASH: REBIRTH #1 was capably done. I didn't feel compelled to read the rest, but Johns has a nice handle on the characters. Another House to Astonish criticism that I appreciated is the notion of writing comics about comics, like FLASH: REBIRTH being a retelling of The Flash's publishing history, somewhat. It's so insular that it can't possibly appeal to anyone but longtime Flash fans. Which is fine, if that's what you're trying to do, but it's not very modern. And I feel like they used this same topic regarding Marvel comics.
The first 3 or so issues of Final Crisis were structurally done in such a way that people unfamiliar with DCU could've read and enjoyed it. It totally fell apart at the end of the story, but O'Brien, who on the podcast at least had no interest in it, totally dismissed it. It's Grant Morrison doing superhero epic, it's at least worth a look if you're a high-profile comics reviewer. But, you know, overall, Al and Paul have a great rapport and a lot of interesting points to make.
I don't think people unfamiliar with the DCU would have enjoyed it that much, really, but that's neither here nor there.
I could have sworn that he reviewed the first issue either in the podcast or on his blog, but perhaps I'm mis-remembering.
Perhaps on his blog, I haven't read much of that. But no reference to reading it on the podcast.
Anyway, it's still a great show. Have you tried any more lately? Out of the four others, Around Comics looks like something you'd enjoy. I haven't had a chance to try any yet.
The portability of podcast tech is really nice. Doesn't matter if I'm driving, walking, cleaning, or in a waiting room, having a big library of this stuff is fun.
I haven't given the others a shot yet, but I'll give Around Comics a listen, as well as a few of the others that Joe mentioned.
One thing I'm discovering is that some creators are just far better talkers than others, which makes them much more interesting/entertaining podcast guests. I enjoy Jason Aaron's work a great deal, but he is not particularly a dynamic speaker. Bendis' and Johns' work may be infuriating at times, but they are pretty entertaining guys to listen to.
Brian Azzarello almost relishes making John Siuntres squirm with his brief, flip answers. I know it's all in good fun between them, but Azzarello is obviously one of those writers who is not big on being a public figure.
There I go recommending stuff before I even give it a try. I listened to the first 5 - 10 minutes of the latest episodes of Around Comics and 11 O'Clock Comics and they are just not my type of thing. Rambling, incoherent, immature (dick jokes, fat jokes)... they hadn't even gotten around to talking comics in those episodes. Plus, having 5 guys talk at once, not such a good idea. But John Siuntres occasionally participates in Around Comics, for what that's worth.
I liked ELEKTRA more than FLASH: REBIRTH, too. DR: ELEKTRA isn't terribly ambitious, but the first issue did what it set out to do well enough.
The first issue of each was fine, but I just think it's not realistic for them to say that FLASH was well done but "unnecessary" and then praise DR: ELEKTRA for superterrific.
I thought you'd heard AROUND COMICS before you mentioned it. It's... not good. It's bad injokes and a lot of mouth-breathing. There's nothing particularly insighful and the "everyone make bad one-liners at the same time" thing is hard to listen to.