A weekly podcast series hosted by three bald indie comic artists. Join us as we discuss, analyze and obsess over comic books and all things pop culture over a few beers.
Trust us! That title will make sense! It’s POWER RECORDS week where the boys listen to not one, but TWO short vinyl record superfolk stories! 1-Spider-Man and the Return of the Conquistador! 2-Superman and the Mxyzptlk up Menace! It’s the real Superman vs Spider-Man event! We listen along and poke fun, MST3K style. All that AND Merk has a new warm up bit, ‘Notions’. Little things that have been bugging him. Does Superman give everyone cancer with his xray vision? How does Venom poop? I know you’re intrigued. Join us. Direct Download: MP3
We are taking Metamorpho, the Element Man, apart piece-by-piece in another installment of “Fix This Character”! Which we may want to rename because this dude needs no fixin’, but in the style of the segment, we are finding fun ways to reinterpret, reimagine, or just take the man of 1000-and-1 changes in a new direction! That could mean a weird “meta” journey past the fourth wall, or finding a cure for immortality in the world of magic, or challenging the unknown with some super-science friends, or maybe everyone else in the world becomes a Metamorpho too! Perhaps an artsy anthology series exploring the psychology of Metamorpho? And hey, what about Metamorpho fashion, while we’re at it? All this and more Rex-related tangents await! Direct Download: MP3
Why do we call them Lightning Rounds? It’s an audio podcast: if anything, this kind of episode, in which we do a bunch of short segments, should be called a Thunder Round! Change is hard, thought, so Lightning Round it is! This week, we talk about the recent passing of Sal Buscema and celebrate his work, cover Wonder Man (spoilers from 11:42-29:48, but if you haven’t watched Wonder Man yet, come on, were you going to?), try to cast Amber Midthunder in more cool movies, take a chilly quiz, and come up with some Golden/Silver Age takes on modern comic book villains! KrakaKOOM! Direct Download: MP3
Groundhog day in comics. What does that mean? Apparently several different things as the boys mix up the topic proposed and come up with two different topics! lol Topic 1- Time loop stories Topic 2- recurring tropes and storylines used over and over again. We got ’em both!! Hear about Moira Mactaggert’s quest to get to a Red Lobster. Or Spider-Man’s poor hygiene. Secret identities revealed over and over and over again! But we start with a SNEAK PEAK at AVENGERS : DOOMSDAY! We toss aside our NDA and tell you EVERYTHING we saw! We swear it’s true! Pinky swear! Dr Doom! Richard Kind! Josh Gad! White Vision! AC/DC! and SO MUCH MORE! Direct Download: MP3
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes! It may not feel like it, but often the most iconic characters don’t arrive fully formed. Sometimes there are some changes, retcons if you will, that not only stick but become fundamental to the character in a way you can’t imagine them being any different. Like the days when Superman could only leap over tall buildings but not fly, when Magneto was a campy and unsympathetic villain before being reimagined as a Holocaust survivor, when Alfred didn’t even have a moustache! Sometimes a supervillain is given more depth and skills, like Doctor Doom! Sometimes a manga hero goes from a li’l monkey-king boy to a long-lost member of an alien battle race, like Goku! Sometimes Peter Parker is a real asshole until he goes to college, but then we kinda forget he was such an asshole! Remember when the Summers family tree was actually comprehensible, or when Sabrina’s cat Salem was orange and a regular cat, or when Doug Ramsey was just a nerd who read a lot of books? Because we sure do! We dig into tons of examples, discuss the constant of change in comics and what makes these revamps work! But first, a fun and loose quiz that asks: did this character first appear in the comics or elsewhere? Perry White, Batgirl, Firestar, Renee Montoya, Abraham Whistler, and more — are they comics originals, did they first pop up on television or the radio, or maybe a video game? (Spoilers: it won’t be a video game.) Direct Download: MP3
Comic Book Death! No, not *that* comic book death, the character of Death, in comic books! This week, we’re talking about these personifications of mortality. From Death of the Endless to that skeleton that Thanos is more of an Eros about, and even the gender-specific Lady Death, and that one that Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter melvin’d that one time. But before all of that, in the Warmup, we talk about the various controversies and legacy of Scott Adams, the cartoonist behind Dilbert, who passed away recently. We do not treat the subject matter with much respect, because, like the New Radicals said, you get what you give, and also bucket hats will be cool forever. Direct Download: MP3
Sidekicks!!! That’s what we’re talking about this week, but not your ‘regular’ sidekicks. No Robins, or Batgirls or whoever. We’re talkin’ Snapper Carr! Rick Jones! Newsboy Legion! Foggy Nelson! Jimmy Olsen! The weirdly regular folks, mostly teenagers, that hung out and went on adventures with (or totally got in the way and caused disasters- we’re looking at you RICK JONES!) superhumans & aliens & supersoldiers. We start with a quiz! How many answers do you know?!? Did you know Snapper Carr became a traitor? Did you know the character he was based on connects with Warner Bros Music’s first number one hit? Did you know Rick Jones should feel bad? And who’s Trucker Thor?!? Well listen and find out! Direct Download: MP3
The New Year has arrived, and it may already be doomed, but there are still comics, movies, and shows we can enjoy as the world burns around us! Superman and Spider-Man cross over for the third time, care of Mark Waid, Jorge Jimenez, and many other friends! Jimmy Olsen meets Carnage! And the classic ’70s crossovers are getting new facsimile reprints to complete the collection! “Ultimate Endgame” is here as the new Marvel Ultimate universe wraps up as the 616 universe faces Armageddon via Chip Zdarsky! DC’s Absolute line gets a Catwoman and a dead(?) Green Arrow, while the main DC comics reach the “Next Level” with new titles for Lobo, Batwoman, Deathstroke, and many more! Vertigo finally returns with new creator-owned comics and a revival of “100 Bullets”! Archie hits the reboot button again, but this time in collaboration with Oni Press, and with Archie in Hell! And did anybody say “Reign of the Superboys” — and the return of li’l Jon Kent!? But there are also movies and shows aplenty heading our way! Wonder Man will take on superhero fatigue with Sir Ben Kingsley in mere weeks, while Fall will bring us “VisionQuest” — possibly with brand-collab Utron sex toys!? Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will have his Brand New Day this summer while Supergirl is having a red-sun-induced drunken birthday bash with Lobo! “Lanterns” is probably maybe actually coming out this year, while “X-Men ’97” and “Daredevil: Born Again” have a lot to prove after behind-the-scenes difficulties and creative shake-ups. “Avengers: Doomsday” continues to loom, as do about a million ugly fake AI teasers that are driving us nuts, but also a million real teasers that will probably also drive us nuts? Zero Issues Comic Podcast will return… right now! Give us the 25 million dollars! Direct Download: MP3
So, what did we learn this year? More importantly, what do we read? Merk finally learns what happens to the Justice League re: Despero in a 40-year old comic, Kyle learns the he likes his reimagined universes to be finite, damnit, and Bry learns about sweet monkey love. Context within the episode! Direct Download: MP3
Happy Holidays, ya filthy animals! It’s Christmas Eve and we’ve got a short, but fun dramatic reading for your holidays! “Santa will feed you to his reindeer”. That is straight from this Dell Comic from 1948. Nimble ‘Nick’ Needle, Santa’s tailor, who he threatens to kill, is up to no good this year. Santa puts up with it only as long as he can …. AND THEN HE SNAPS!! Or does he? Only we know (and anyone else who’s ever read this comic) so join us and come on a Santa killing spree adventure! Editors note- There may or may not be a killing spree in this story. Direct Download: MP3
Comic book movies are dead! Now what? This week, we talk about how we got here, what comes next, and what are we worried that we’re going to miss out on. How elegantly can we glue comic books onto other hot genres (elevated horror, anybody)? Are we getting into the deconstruction era already? Are we seeing the real-ass return of practical effects, or smaller theatres, or giving up and staying home? Do we embrace the future, or hide in our caves? And in the Warmup, we have the triumphant return of the Comic Book Movies’ Actors Quiz! Play at home, you too can beat Kyle at this! Direct Download: MP3
CALVIN & HOBBES. Yea, that’s probably all we need to say right? The amazing strip by Bill Watterson that ran for only a decade but changed the face of comics and comic strips is STILL revered to this day. And we’re gonna talk the $%#& out of it. It’s philosophical origins, the newspaper strip business, Watterson’s fights with the syndicate (not the mob), contemporaries of the time, and realizing that Calvin’s Dad is really cool. Join us won’t you? Direct Download: MP3
It’s episode number 501, so you know what that means: AN ALL JEANS EPISODE! The result is a 40-minute trip into madness that’s at least tangentially connected to denim. We begin with a look back at the famous and/or infamous button-fly Levi’s jeans commercial featuring Rob Liefeld and directed by Spike Lee, a real thing that happened. We debate button-fly vs. zipper, compare our personal experiences with social-media algorithms, and slip into some denim-related tangents. But what of our comics Jeans? Such as Jean Loring, who was put through the ringer in “Identity Crisis”, a superhero event mystery that does not make sense. And of course, Jean Grey, and we try to figure out if literally anyone in the Marvel Universe can defeat the Phoenix! Which superheroes and villains can pull off a costume with jeans, from Superman and the Superboys to Angar the Screamer, Jessica Jones, and even Conan the Barbarian? And just imagine Iron Man’s denim armour, the Mk. D! All this and Gene Colan, too! Direct Download: MP3
500 episodes! Like, 500 complete episodes. Way more than Seinfeld has, I’m pretty sure. For this centennial celebration, this time? We’re just gonna sort of take it easy, with a chill-as-heck lava lamp of an episode, which are the kind of episodes that I think we like to do, now that we’ve discovered that after over a decade of getting together and recording, we’re actually kind of good at just talking to each other about comics and junk. Also, happy birthday, Merk’s sister! Direct Download: MP3
It’s time for the FIFTH installment of the CELERY STALK SLAM!! That time between Halloween & Christmas, where we choose characters from each to square off…. and battle to end! Which holiday wins? Which characters will we pick this… Continue Reading →
CONTENT WARNING: This episodes includes a discussion on human trafficking, which some may find upsetting or triggering. This topic begins at 13 minutes into the episode. This week we interview a man who should need no introduction: TYLER MANE! From… Continue Reading →
In 1982, a young Wes Craven set out to make the ultimate horror character. He failed, and made a Swamp Thing movie, instead! To wrap up this year’s HowLenWein festivities, this week, we sit down and watch this thing. Do… Continue Reading →
Howl-Len-Wein, our October celebration of all things Len Wein, continues with an ALL-WEIN LIGHTNING ROUND! Merk tests Kyle and Bry at three rounds of LEN WEIN TRIVIA, in which the Wein-owledge of both quizboys and quizmaster is tested! Mega-Producer Kyle… Continue Reading →
We continue HOWL-LEN-WEIN with dramatic read from one of Len Wein’s weirdest comics, Batman: A word to the wise, a one shot Batman comic that takes place in it’s entirety in Canada, really pushing literacy and has STRONG and… Continue Reading →
Happy HowLenWein, everyone! For this indeterminate amount of time (there may be a slight dip in the middle, not unlike a fancy ballroom dance), we are covering all things Len Wein. This week, we start it off by really talking… Continue Reading →
Health and technical malfunctions abound this week, so we’re digging out a classic episode from the extensive Zero Archives for you to enjoy… today! The Spooky Month continues, and this week it's our spookiest trick yet – fixing a character!… Continue Reading →
This week was supposed to be a Lightning Round, but we had so much fun playing a couple of games that we decided to just make that the episode. Yeah, Two Games!! This is a fun one, so we hope… Continue Reading →
Could someone be a REAL Batman? Would they? How? Why? Do you think a billionaire has already dressed up and played Batman on their sprawling estate somewhere? Do you think Mark Zuckerberg has made Zuckerangs? Or would a Budget… Continue Reading →
AI is coming for all of the coolest, most creative jobs. For a lot of folks, it’s already here, and that includes people working in the comic industry. This week, we try to take AI seriously, and discuss just what… Continue Reading →
Hey folks, we are taking a week off due to scheduling/plague-related issues. But! Wait! Where are you going?! We have a Classic Zero Issues to make up for it, because we hate the idea of anyone being without us for… Continue Reading →
We’re talkin’ comics ’bout real people! Whether they be classy graphic novel biographies, tacky celebrity cash-in issues, wacky cameo appearances, bizarre “parody” comics from the ’80s, and almost too much more. We dig into graphic novel biographies about André the… Continue Reading →
Ka-zar! Y’know… Ka-zar! That Marvel Tarzan guy from the Savage Land? We’re fixin’ him this week! Each of us takes a stab at pitching a story or approach to take him from a B or C lister to an… Continue Reading →
We sincerely hope you’ve brought your popsicles this week, because it’s about to get scalding hot in the sun chamber! It’s August Audness, which means we’ve picked a bunch of comic book characters, and are making them fight for our… Continue Reading →
It’s official: The X-Men are coming to the MCU, and they’re looking at a young cast to kick things off! And that means it’s time for a ZERO ISSUES CASTING CALL! (which used to be a thing in Wizard Magazine,… Continue Reading →
It’s FANTASTIQUE FOUR – ZEE BABY’S FIRST STEPS! Film Reactions! Spoilers! Twilight! Rodney Dangerfield! Spinning Restaurants! Jive Bunny & the Master Mixers! Everything you expect from us and less! Direct Download: MP3
It’s LAVA LAMP episode time! Which means…. the boys just talk about a bunch of different things. A meandering episode where they discuss things like the Toxic Avenger teaming up with Jesus Christ, or whether they can recall a… Continue Reading →
Superman is out, and we have seen it, so now we spoil it in an episode-long review/debate! Some of use loved it, some of us opposite-of-loved it, some of us are undecided and need to watch a video essay so… Continue Reading →
Jim Shooter — the legendary writer and editor behind reviving the Legion of Super-Heroes and other DC titles in the ’60s, then his reign as Editor-in-Chief at Marvel during their ’70s-’80s hot streak, founder of Valiant Comics, and much more… Continue Reading →
I am the law, and so can you! This week, we are– inexplicably, unexplainedly, baffingly– taking the time to watch Judge Dredd, the 1995 Sylvester Stallone-led flop. What did we think? Did we love it? Are you about to… Continue Reading →
Ok. THIS one is a bit of a meandering conversation. This week’s episode starts with a Dad game (What if Bucky was Annihilus’ dad and other fun questions). And the main topic is comics and authoritarianism. And we DO… Continue Reading →
It’s Dramatic Reading time once again — that’s when we perform a classic comic radio-drama style while commenting and making jokes about it throughout! This time we take you back to 1972’s The Brave and the Bold #99, where Batman… Continue Reading →
Doctor doctor, what do I do, I’ve got a bad case of talkin’ ’bout doctors! Also nurses, and medical professionals (and the medical field) in general! This week, we go over some very obscure medical characters (for example: Dr.… Continue Reading →
How many comic characters have been replaced? Whether temporarily, for a good stint, or permanently? Quite a few apparently, when the boys delve into the topic and start uncovering a slew of them. From Blue Beetle to Dr Fate,… Continue Reading →
This week it’s ALL NEWS, with endless comic and pop culture developments to dig through! Including: The Buffy revival and Sarah Michelle Gellar reveal the new Vampire Slayer! Amazon Prime absolutely isn’t making a Judge Dredd series with Karl Urban,… Continue Reading →
Thunderbolts* is not only out, it’s so out that that isn’t even the name of the movie anymore! This week, we talk about what we liked about the movie, and even what we didn’t, but there isn’t as much… Continue Reading →
DAREDEVIL BORN AGAIN! Was it good? Was it bad? Why was Jason Mewes/Muse in it? The boys dig deep into the Disney+ show and the gloves are off! SPOILER ALERT … obviously. All that and a warm up speculating… Continue Reading →
This week it’s a Power Records double-feature! We’ve got two Hulk stories to listen to and riff over, but not just any Hulk, the 1978 live-action television Hulk! (But don’t call him Bruce, you wouldn’t like him when you call… Continue Reading →
Get out of this world, get into my space ship! This week, we’re talking about aliens, both in comics, and in the greater pop culture sphere. Who’s better, the xenomoprhs of the Brood, and what is the Kirby connection… Continue Reading → The post 473: I Still Haven’t Seen Prey, But I’ve Seen Venom 3 appeared first on Zero Issues Comic Podcast.
It’s an all games episode! Superdedouper defight! Hulk Out/Fake Out! MFK! Battleholes card game! A Bry Quiz! And stunt casting with bad actors! We usually come up with the title from some random phrase that was said during the… Continue Reading → The post 472: He Can Act But Just Chooses Not To. appeared first on Zero Issues Comic Podcast.
Once again it’s time for adventure! One that a very dynamic duo chooses the outcome of! A real “Chooses the Doozes”, as it were. Kyle and Merk commiserate over the Bad Present we find ourselves in — when a cyborg… Continue Reading → The post 471: Beyond the Purple Portal! appeared first on Zero Issues Comic Podcast.
Here comes Daredevil! Again! He’s being born! Again! This week, we’re talking about the first four episodes of the new really-really-in-the-MCU-this-time Daredevil show. What we liked, what we really didn’t like, and why every part of a story matters… Continue Reading → The post 470: That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles appeared first on Zero Issues Comic Podcast.
JOSE LUIS GARCIA LOPEZ!! This week the boys celebrate this amazing artist for all that he’s given to comics. From his early days in Argentina starting out in comics, to the iconic work creating the DC Style Guide, to… Continue Reading → The post 469: The Age of Peak Garcia Lopez appeared first on Zero Issues Comic Podcast.
Fight on! It’s March, which means that it’s time for another March Madness episode, where we pick a bunch of comic book characters and make them fight for our, and hopefully your, amusement. This time, we’re pitting Nature versus Future… Continue Reading → The post 468: It’s Square (the Wrong Way) appeared first on Zero Issues Comic Podcast.
It’s been a bit since we had a “Fix This Character” episode, in which we reimagine underperforming characters in wildly different ways! This time: CLOAK and DAGGER! And to be honest, Ty and Tandy are great and don’t really need… Continue Reading → The post 467: Cloak and Dagger and Alan Moore’s Horny Cthulhu appeared first on Zero Issues Comic Podcast.
John Constantine! This month he celebrates not once, not twice but… no… well, yea, twice. It’s been 40 years since his first appearance in Swamp Thing and 20 years since the Keanu Reeves helmed film was released! Wow. So… Continue Reading → The post Constant2 appeared first on Zero Issues Comic Podcast.
This week, to coincide with the release of Captain America: Brave New World, we’re covering Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson, partners in… well, not crime, but mostly the opposite? Captain America and The Falcon, partners since the ’60s. How… Continue Reading → The post 465: You Name Another Thing That’s Green and Orange, and Then You Can Stop Shaking Your Head appeared first on Zero Issues Comic Podcast.
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