Better Than Fiction

Episode #559! Meow Wolf Dallas and The Art of John Byrne! Back from his trip to Dallas, DL talks about exploring The Real Unreal at Meow Wolf Dallas. Scott brings a 45 year old art retrospective to the table. Also on the table we have the newly printed The Untold Legend of the Batman treasury edition. Check it out!  

Episode #558! The Technopriests, Swamp Monsters and The Shadow Scrapbook! This week we focus on three books. If Scott had a copy of The Shadow Scrapbook while in Junior High, he would have quit school. He talks about one of his favorite books this episode. The Incal and The Metabarons creator Alexandro Jodorowski has a third epic in his "Jodo-Verse". This week DL talks The Technopriests. Also this episode DL has Swamp Monsters - Classic Monsters of Pre-Code Horror Comics from Yoe Books. Check it out!

Episode #557! The Sixth Gun and Pencils vs Pixels! This week we have a tale set in the old west. DL brings the fantasy/horror series The Sixth Gun by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt to the table. Scott talks Disney documentaries and a book that charts the making of the animated film Aladdin. Check it out!  

Episode #556! El Fuego and Spider-man! This week we bring a few books to the table. First up we have an end of the world tale from writer, artist David Rubin. El Fuego tells the story of a gifted architect's attempt to create off world housing as a planet killing asteroid and his own personal problems come baring down. We also talk Spider-man with Forever Young and an essential. Plus we check out two new DC collected reprints from their compact and finest lines. Check it out! 

Episode #555! Blazing Combat and Atlanta! We are finally back with a new episode! Fresh off his trip to Atlanta, Scott tells us all about it and some shops he might have visited. In 1965, publisher Jim Warren and writer/editor Archie Goodwin produced Blazing Combat magazine. Each black and white issue was illustrated by the top comic book artists of the time including Wally Wood, Gene Colan, John Severin, Alex Toth, George Evans and Russ Heath. Although only four issues were completed, all featured covers painted by Frank Frazetta. We check out Fantagraphics' Blazing Combat HC which features each issue and interviews with Warren and Goodwin. Definitely check it out!

Episode #554! Daredevil Born Again! This week your hosts Scott Sackett and DLNelson are back with the new Disney+ show Daredevil: Born Again! After watching the first two episodes, they talk about the plot while breaking down individual scenes. The ending of original Netflix show is reviewed along with the original Born Again comics. Check it out!  

Episode #553! The All American Art Cartooning, Bond and Mash! This week Scott brings two television programs to the pod. First he talks about an anniversary for TV's MASH then he tells us about House of David. DL brings two books from the '40's to the table. First up is Al Capp's The Life and Times of The Shmoo. Also, the Higgins Ink Co.'s magazine The All American Art Cartooning is examined. Plus Daredevil, Cap Brave New World and Bond. We will be keeping it real this episode.   

Episode #552! Bowling With Corpses, Brothers and Alien! This week DL brings two illustrated hardcovers to the table. Written and drawn by Mike Mignola, Bowling With Corpses is a collection of eight wonderful fantasy stories. Next is what could have been or more importantly what should have been. Aliens Book One written by Mark Verheiden with black and white art by Mark A. Nelson continues the story of Newt and Hicks years after the events of (the movie) Aliens. Scott brings Alex Van Halen's biography Brothers to the table and tells us about The Return of Godzilla. Check it out!  

Episode #551! Paul Smith's The Uncanny X-Men Artist's Edition and The Drifting Classroom! In 1962 Topps unleashed a trading card set like no other. Now from Abrams publishing is the Topps Mars Attacks 50th Anniversary Collection book which reproduced every card. Scott brings that book and the huge Paul Smith's The Uncanny X-Men Artist's Edition to the table. Also this week DL has Manga Ka Kazuo Umezz' horror masterpiece The Drifting Classroom! Plus we keep it real. Check it out!    

Episode #550! Transmetropolitan, Superman vs The Flash and Usagi Yojimbo! This week we Keep It Real with our takes on TV and comics. First up Scott talks about the comedy series Bookie available on Max. DL does an overview of the Ellis and Robertson series Tranametropolitan. Scott brings the DC treasury Superman vs The Flash The Greatest Race Of All Time to the table. All that plus Usagi Yojimbo! Check it out!   

Episode #549! The Complete Web of Horror, Doom Patrol and A Treasury of XXth Century Murder! Welcome back! This week Scott bring a few books to the podcast. First up he has a collection of stories featuring one of his favorite comic book teams the Doom Patrol. He also has war stories covered with John Keegan's The Second World War and Nathan Hale's Treaties, Trenches, Mud and Blood. Meanwhile DL brings an absolute winner of a book to the table. The Complete Web of Horror collects all three issues from the short lived mag plus completed stories and art that never made it into future issues. And in the new Keeping It Real segment DL spotlights another book. Check it out!     

Episode #548! Our Top Five of '24! This week your hosts Scott Sackett and DLNelson are back with their annual Best Of episode. Books, comics, magazines, music, an interactive experience and even a musical is discussed. Also some honorable mentions are mentioned. Check it out!   

 Episode #547! DC Finest, The Shadow and Doomsday +1! This week Scott brings two serials to the podcast with Zorro's Fighting Legion and Drums of Fu Manchu. He also shows off his score from Lulu. DL has two new Batman collections with DC Finest Batman Year One & Two and Batman First Knight. Plus Freddie the Fix. Check it out!

Episode #546! Starman, The Shadow and the Marvel calendar! It's time for a new Starman. This week DL focuses on the Jack Knight era of the Opal City hero. Scott brings a rare Shadow hardcover to the table along with the new Marvel (reprint) calendar. We also have some New Orleans and Disney World travel talk. Check it out!                       

Episode #545! Dungeons and Dragons and Hellboy! This week Scott starts off with a couple of movies. First up is 1932's The Most Dangerous Game then is Sinatra in Double Dynamite. After that he has the absolute tome The Making Of Original Dungeons & Dragons 1970-1977. DL brings a trio of Mike Mignola books to the table including his new Hell, Ink & Water art book. All that plus extras. Check it out!   

Episode #544! Gil Kane The Art of the Comics, Discipline and The Goddess of Pigland! This week Scott brings the comic The Goddess of Pigland by his cousin Mario Zecca to the table. He also spotlights the career spanning book Gil Kane The Art of the Comics. DL has a story of a Quaker leaving home to fight in the Civil War in Discipline by Dash Shaw.  All that and more. Check it out!  

Episode #543! The Shadow, The Joker and Battlestar Galactica! This week at the table, Scott brings a Shadow pulp reprint which includes The Voodoo Master and The Red Blot. As if that wasn't enough Shadow, he also directs our attention to Dark Avenger The Strange Saga of the Shadow. Also this week we talk treasuries with Howard The Duck, Battlestar Galactica and Faster Than Light. And we talk about the sweet, sweet musical Joker Folie 'a Deux! Check it out!

Episode #542! New York Comic Con '24! This week DL gives his take on NYCC '24. Besides what he bought, panels he attended and creators met, he also talks about his time at the Society of Illustrators and the Philippe Labaune Gallery. Plus time at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Roosevelt Island, The Vessel and Coney Island are included. All that and more! Give it a listen! 

Episode #541! The Wolfman, Starman and King of Kong! This week we revisit the documentary about two rival Donkey Kong video gamers with King of Kong. DL brings the Superman versus Wonder Woman treasury to the table. Scott talks about Universal Pictures' The Wolf Man dvd. Also this week we look at Starman from James Robinson and Tony Harris. Check it out! 

Episode #540! This week we have trades, a Sopranos documentary and a couple of movies to discuss. First up is the post-apocalyptic, car wars style, street racer chase story Petrol Head by Rob Williams and Pye Parr. Next, is The Cowboy Wally Show from indy giant Kyle Baker. Scott tells us about the documentary Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos. And we have more post-apocalyptic action with Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and A Boy and His Dog. Check it out!

Episode #539! At The Mountains Of Madness and True Romance! Welcome back! This week Scott tells us about the Quentin Tarantino penned film True Romance. Meanwhile, DL has horror works from HP Lovecraft and Richard Corben. First up is Gou Tanabe's adaptation of Lovecraft's At The Mountains Of Madness. After that archeological expedition gone bad, we have Corben's Frozen Beauty from Creepy #36. Check it out! 

Episode #538! Houses of the Unholy, Kommix and Uncanny X-Force! This week DL has comics by Charles Burns, Rick Remender, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phililps. First up, Charles Burns gives us plenty of fake magazine covers in his new book Kommix, Houses of the Unholy is Brubaker and Phillips' newest book with crime (of course) and Satanic Panic. Also brought to the table this week is the Uncanny X-Force omnibus written by Remender and illustrated by many of the top artists working today. Check it out!  

Episode #537! Scott's NYC travelogue! Scott is back from his NYC trip. This week he tells us about his trip, things he bought and his special birthday lunch. Plus Back To The Future the musical! Check it out!  

Episode #536! Joe Matt's Peep Show, Grim Death and Bill The Electrocuted Criminal and Friday book 3! This week we have works by Mike Mignola, Ed Brubaker and the late Joe Matt. First up, Scott tells us about Mike Mignola's Grim Death and Bill The Electrocuted Criminal. Posthumously published, our next book is the autobiographical Peep Show #15 from indy great Joe Matt. The final volume of the mystery series Friday from Ed Brubaker is our final book this week. We also talk Marvel cinema and Deadpool & Wolverine. Check it out!  

Episode #535! Johnny Future, Golden Age Comics and Nemesis The Warlock! This week we dive into three collected editions. DL has two collections from Rebellion. First up is The Complete Johnny Future. Written by Alf Wallace and drawn by Luis Bermejo the title character begins as The Missing Link but quickly morphs into Johnny Future. Also from Rebellion is The Definitive Edition of Nemesis The Warlock vol. 1. Divided into two parts, this Pat Mills penned series starts as a futuristic sci-fi tale drawn by Kevin O'Neill. The second half of the book drawn by Jesus Redondo leans into fantasy with hero Nemesis up against the oppressive Torquemada. Also this week Scott talks about a book that has eluded him for over 45 years. Check it out!      

Episode #534! Mystery Men! Before the Marvel Age of movies, super hero films with a few exceptions weren't the box office giants they are today. They hadn't grabbed the general public yet with their limited effects, crude costumes and let's be honest weak stories. Most tended to not take themselves seriously anyway. As a super hero fan you took what you could get though. Now 25 years later, we look back at one of those movies, the super hero/comedy Mystery Men. Give it a listen! 

Episode #533! Creepy, Spider-Man Artisan Edition and Southern Knights! John Romita's The Amazing Spider-Man Artisan Edition vol.2 is out. We look over his incredible artwork this week. John Romita isn't the only master illustrator featured this week. DL also brings Creepy #113 (featuring the art of Bernie Wrightson) to the table. Scott tells us about the new X-Men #1 re-launch. Also this week Scott has the Southern Knights graphic novel. Plus much more. Check it out!

Episode #532! You Cannot Kill David Arquette, Sky Captain and Hellboy!  This week your hosts talk Cool Stuff with movies and books. First up, DL tells Scott about the redemption documentary You Cannot Kill David Arquette. Scott talks a little about Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. We also discuss The New York City Outlaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark and the new Richard Corben Hellboy Artists Collection. Check it out!

Episode #531! Comic reads for our bunker! Scenario time: It's the end of the world as we know it. Assuming our bunkers are already stocked with the essentials, we ask ourselves what comics would we take to our bunker if need be. This week we each give our top five bunker books we could re-read if needed. Give it a listen!

Episode 530! This week we are back with more cool stuff. My Favorite Thing Is Monsters vol.2 finally dropped on the graphic novel buying public. DL has reread vol.1 and devoured vol.2 in a week. Now he brings both volumes to the podcast. Also this week Scott dives into many books covering the history of comics including Crawford's Encyclopedia of Comic Books, The Great Comic Book Heroes and Golden Age Treasury. Check it out!

Episode #529! This week we are back with more Cool Stuff! First up, DL spotlights the Image comics series Ice Cream Man. Items brought to the table include the Sundae Edition vol. 1, issue #32 with it's M.C. Escher homage variant cover and decompressed car wreck issue #39. Scott brings two books to the table. First is X-Men Mutant Empire by Christopher Golden then is the Raiders of the Lost Ark movie adaption by Campbell Black. Check it out!    

Episode #528! Movie episode! This week we each talk about some recently watched films. First up Scott talks about Godzilla movies and action serials from the '30's and '40's. He also brings Doctor Who Day of the Daleks to the show. After that, DL talks about new releases Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Mad Max prequel Furiosa. Check it out!

Episode #527! Scott spent his free time watching a few movies this week. He tells us about two non-ape Charlton Heston classics with Soylent Green and The Omega Man. He also talks about '68's Danger: Diabolik. Ed Piskor was murdered by internet trolls. On this episode DL embraces hip hop culture and dives into Piskor's crowning achievement Hip Hop Family Tree. Check it out!

Episode #526! War for the Planet of the Apes! We continue our trek through the Planet of the Apes film franchise. Although this is movie number 9 overall, it is number 3 in the current cycle of movies. These movies feature modern storytelling with special effects that get progressively better with each film. War for the Planet of the Apes moves the story even further into the future where disease is taking an even greater toll on the remaining human population. Check it out!

Episode #525! This week we talk movies. Continuing with our goal to watch all the Planet of the Apes movies, we watch and discuss Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. After that Scott tells us about the tennis film 7 Days In Hell. Our third film we bring to the podcast is Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. Check it out!

Episode #524! Rise of the Planet of the Apes and The Human Centipede! We continue our trek through the Planet of the Apes franchise. In Rise of the Planet of the Apes we witness the events that lead to the end of mankind and the rise of the apes. Also this episode The Human Centipede! Check it out! 

Episode #523! In the 70's and 80's John Carpenter made many of our favorite movies. He wrote, directed and scored several thrillers that are still talked about to this day. This week we focus on one of his lesser talked about titles 1980's The Fog. After watching the film, we sit down to discuss it. Give it a listen!   

Episode #522! Peanuts By The Decade, Ferrari and Dracula! This week we bounce back after last weeks downer of an episode. Scott brings a movie and a box set to this episode. First up Scott talks about a favorite comic strip. Peanuts By The Decade is a box set housing the three volume The Big Book of Peanuts which includes all the daily strips from the '50's, '60's and '70's. Scott also tells us about Ferrari starring Adam Driver. And to close down this episode DL talks about the Topps collected edition of Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula with Mike Mignola art. Check it out!

Episode #521! RIP Ed Piskor. Ed Piskor was a talented comic book creator and host of the popular YouTube channel Cartoonist Kayfabe. This week we talk about his untimely death (murder by the hands of internet scumbags). We also spotlight the impressive body of work he left behind.    

Episode #520! Night Train to Munich, Lore & Legends and a Batman Treasury! This week Scott tells us about the thriller Night Train to Munich. A Nazi spy and a British agent both try to capture a Czech inventor during the beginning of WWII. In the early 1970's writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams breathed new life into Batman after his 60's comedic period. Collected in the new Batman Treasury facsimile edition is his first adventures with new villain Ra's Al-Ghul. Also this episode we look at Lore & Legends. This impressed book showcases plenty of the art, products and extras of Dungeons and Dragons fifth edition. Check it out!         

Episode #519! Works by Corben, Comics Scene and Hot Tips! This week we are back with even more Cool Stuff! Up first is The Incredible Hulk vol.1. This HC features stories written by Bruce Jones and Brian Azzarello with art by John Romita Jr, Lee Weeks and Richard Corben. Scott brings Hot Tips From Top Comics Creators and Artists On Comic Artists to the table. DL shows off a Comics Scene magazine with a Jean Giraud Blueberry article. To close down this episode, we look at New Tales of the Arabian Nights also by Richard Corben! Check it out!   

Episode #518! Planet Comic Con '24! Kansas City's Planet Comic Con has come and gone this year. This week DLNelson talks about his experience at the con. Highlights include panels attended and celebrity sightings. Check it out!  

Episode #517! Meow Wolf Santa Fe! This week Scott tells us about his recent trip to Santa Fe. Among the highlights is entering into the "Twilight Zone" reality of Meow Wolf. Listen as his dives deep into his complete experience. Check it out! 

Episode #516! California '24! This week DL talks about his recent family trip to Cali. Highlights of the trip include Disneyland with Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars Galaxy's Edge and Radiator Springs in California Adventure. The Academy Awards Museum, Hollywood and Amoeba Music are also discussed. Check it out!

Episode #515! The Iron Claw, Frankenstein and X-Men! We are finally back with new episodes. This week Scott continues his trek through X-Men Epic vol. 5 with issue #103. In his Frankenstein, Junji Ito overshadows the title character with his six tales of Oshikiri. We also talk about the biopic The Iron Claw and wrestling's Von Erich family. Check it out!   

Episode #514! Our Best of '23! Better late than never! After compiling all our data we are finally ready to talk about our favorite things from '23. Listen as we talk about five things we read, watched or experienced that we ranked above everything else.   

Episode #513! Planet Of The Apes 2001! This week we jump back into the world of the post apocalyptic Apes. This time the film is the one-off Tim Burton Planet of the Apes. In the year 2029 Captain Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) attempts to rescue his chimpanzee pilot trainee. When he crash lands in a jungle things take an unexpected turn.  Check it out!   

Episode #512! This week we focus on Sci-Fi entertainment with a book and a TV series. First up DL has The History of Science Fiction: A Graphic Novel Adventure. Writer Xavier Dollo along with artist Djibril Morissette-Phan take the reader on trip through the history of Sci-Fi from before the term Sci-Fi existed through modern books, movies, TV series, video games and comics. Also this week Scott tells us about the Netflix reboot of Lost in Space! Check it out!

Episode #511! Science Fiction and Fantasy paintings have been featured on book covers for decades from artist Michael Whelan. This week Scott brings three of Whelan's art books to the table to show off some of those unbelievable covers. Also this week we talk a little about Loki season 2. Check it out! 

Episode #510! This week we feature two biographies. First up is The Twilight Man - Rod Serling and the Birth of Television. Written and drawn by Koren Shadmi, The Twilight Man is a heavily researched biography of Serling from a paratrooper in WWII to a creative force in television. We also take a look at The Twilight Zone Companion by Marc Scott Zicree. After that, Scott talks about Geddy Lee's new autobiography My Effin' Life. Check it out!

Episode #509! This week DL brings Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips newest book to the table. Where The Body Was focuses on the lives of nine people on Pelican Road in the summer of '84. Scott tells us about his recent trip to Tulsa including comic shops he hit and purchases. We have brief sports talk on professional wrestling and college football. Also, Scott talks about his holiday tradition. Check it out!