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Ever wondered why the never-endingTrump show seems simultaneously like a reality show remake and sequel? According to Chris Gavaler, the self styled Patron Saint of Superheroes, it's because our view of reality itself has been shaped by all those “sequels, remakes, retcons and rejects” endlessly spewing out of Hollywood. Our addiction to the Stars Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Marvel franchises has “revised" our reality,” Gavaler, the co-author of the new REVISING OUR REALITY, suggests. So how we can seize back reality from these entertainment titans? Here, Gavaler is less instructive. Perhaps the Patron Saint of Superheroes has, himself, been watching too many inane Star Wars or Lord of the Rings remakes. Chris Gavaler is Associate Professor of English at Washington and Lee University, USA. He is also the author of On the Origin of Superheroes: From the Big Bang to Action Comics No. 1 (2015) and Superhero Comics (2017) and Creating Comics (2021), both published by Bloomsbury. Since 2021, he has been series editor of Bloomsbury Comics Studies.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
Chris Gavaler is an associate professor at W&L University, comics editor of SHENANDOAH, and series editor of Bloomsbury Critical Guides in Comics Studies. Chris has authored many books on the studies of superheroes such as "Superhero Thought Experiments: Comic Book Philosophy" which examines the deep philosophical topics addressed in superhero comics, authors Gavaler and Goldberg read plot lines for the complex thought experiments they contain and analyze their implications as if the comic authors were philosophers. The next book titled "On the Origin of Superheroes: From the Big Bang to Action Comics No. 1" from the creation of the universe, through mythological heroes and gods, to folklore, ancient philosophy, revolutionary manifestos, discarded scientific theories, and gothic monsters, the sweep and scale of the superhero's origin story is truly epic. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/out-of-the-blank-podcast/support
This time on the Couch: Mike, James, and Shée plant their flag in the dirt of Action Comics no. 381! As Supermanuary continues, our hero has become even more unhinged, causing a ruckus at the UN and demanding the entire Earth kneel before his immaculately-toned Kryptonian physique! Has Superman finally come to his senses and realized that a war-hungry, Crocs-wearing planet could probably benefit from a little stern leadership? Hopefully! Then, in a chilling backup story, Matter-Eater Lad confronts the worst terror imaginable: Dating outside of your league!
This time on the Couch: Mike, James, and Shée put on their top hats and spats to read Action Comics issue 337! It's only week two of Supermanuary, but it seems Superman's already gotten bored and has resorted to bizarre stunts to keep himself invested in this whole "fighting crime" thing. Why is the man of steel dressing up in a series of goofy outfits to stop criminals instead of just punting them out of the galaxy? Don't worry about it, just tell him he looks great in that headdress and pray he doesn't eye-laser your skull in half. Then, Supergirl travels to another planet where everything's just slightly different than on Earth, but still totally unbearable for any sustained period of time. Are we sure she's not just in Iowa? Link to donate to James' marathon fundraiser to benefit autism research: https://support.researchautism.org/Chicago2023/jameso
Here is the latest from The Year Was, which is that thing I do every week. We are up to episode 171. This time we examine the year 1947 as the Doomsday Clock is introduced, 1965 (???) as Oscar the Grouch is born, 1974 as the Heimlich Maneuver is first introduced, and 1938 as Superman first appears in Action Comics No. 1. - Theme music by The Tim Kreitz Band https://www.youtube.com/c/TimKreitzAdventures/ https://www.reverbnation.com/timkreitz - iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-year-was/id1458174084 Podbean: https://theyearwas.podbean.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Qdd00m2NWvrViVIfAh6kA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzWavt8mqXHsC_uRNpU3lQ - Sources: https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/current-time/ https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/timeline/ https://thebulletin.org/2022/03/bulletin-science-and-security-board-condemns-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-doomsday-clock-stays-at-100-seconds-to-midnight/?utm_source=ClockStatementPage&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=DoomsdayClockMarchStatement https://thebulletin.org/virtual-tour/who-sets-the-doomsday-clock/ https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Oscar_the_Grouch https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Jon_Stone https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/dr-heimlich-got-maneuver https://www.janetwhardy.com/when-did-superman-first-appeared-in-comic-books/ https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Superman_Vol_1 https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Superman_Publication_History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_Comics_1 - Photo: https://mediaassets.wcpo.com/photo/2014/02/06/013014%20heimlich%20071_1391720248324_2375670_ver1.0_640_480.jpg
Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 451, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: Dynasty 1: Drink up! This family ruled France off and on until 1848. Bourbon. 2: Drink up! This family ruled France off and on until 1848. Bourbon. 3: In the 13th century the Marinids, a Berber dynasty, ruled what is now this country with Fez as their capital. Morocco. 4: The Sabah dynasty rules this kingdom bordering Iraq. Kuwait. 5: The Sabah dynasty rules this kingdom bordering Iraq. Kuwait. Round 2. Category: Play Your Cards Right 1: In bridge, if east is the dummy that means the declarer is this position. West (opposites). 2: In the "Black Lady" version of this game, the queen of spades is to be dreaded also. Hearts. 3: It's a connecting device in an electrical circuit designed for the insertion of a plug. a jack. 4: In the poker variation Spit in the Ocean, each player is initially dealt this many cards. 4. 5: Phish musician Ernest Joseph Anastasio III, like many guys with III in their names, goes by this. Trey. Round 3. Category: George Orwell 1: Orwell's classic 1945 satire on the Stalinist dictatorship; 4 publishers turned it down. Animal Farm. 2: Orwell was born Eric Blair in this country in 1903; Kipling, whom Orwell later wrote about, was born there in 1865. India. 3: In this book England is known as Airstrip One and is part of Oceania. 1984. 4: According to the title of a 1933 work, 1 of the 2 cities in which Orwell was "Down and Out". London or Paris. 5: In 1936 Orwell headed south to fight in and write about this war; he got shot in the throat and wrote a book. the Spanish Civil War. Round 4. Category: Action! 1: This hero made his comic book debut in and on the cover of Action Comics No. 1. Superman. 2: In a 1965 speech this president put out a call for "affirmative action" in hiring by federal contractors. Johnson. 3: You may not give a fig, but according to Newton, there's one of these for every action. an equal and opposite reaction. 4: The action of a boy can ring a girl's bell, and the action of these can ring a buoy's bell. a wave. 5: Dutch-American artist about whose work the term "action painting" was coined. Willem de Kooning. Round 5. Category: Thanks, Guys 1: Jim Cole, who keeps us posted on fruit imports and exports, works for this cabinet dept.. Dept. of Agriculture. 2: When we have a question about this, the "Breakfast of Champions", we call Kathryn Newton. Wheaties. 3: Richard Arnold, researcher for this Paramount "Enterprise", told us about Vulcan mating customs. "Star Trek". 4: When we need to know about this, the King of Beers, we call Mary McHugh. Budweiser. 5: Mr. Otha Day of this bandleader's archive told about the 1st performance of "Rhapsody In Blue". Paul Whiteman. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!
What's up constant listeners! This second episode of the 2021 is a commentary on one of my favorite Superman stories to come from the pages of "Action Comics no. 1000!" Written by Richard Donner and Geoff Johns, "The Car" centers around a man who, living a life of crime and being a bully, experiences a hard lesson learned but is also given compassion by a certain Man of Steel. If you want to follow the "Earth-16 Comics Wire Podcast," here are the social media links: Twitter: @earth16podcast Instagram: @earth16comicswire Tiktok: @earth16comicswire --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/podcast-102e69d0/support
“I wrote this book to make you mad.” So declares British writer and artist Woodrow Phoenix in the afterward of his new graphic novel Crash Course. Subtitled, “If You Want To Get Away With Murder, Buy a Car,” the book explores the powerful and toxic relationship between people and automobiles. With its stark and beautifully hand-drawn images of roads, traffic symbols, cities and highways, Crash Course takes aim at the ways in which cars have shaped the built environment, politics, and even the human psyche, largely for the worse. Crash Course unpacks the term “road rage,” explains why traffic accidents are anything but, and dispels the notion that people can be neatly separated into categories such as motorist, cyclist or pedestrian. It also examines the dangers of SUVs, the perils of driverless cars and the recent and growing trend of vehicles being used as weapons against demonstrators in places such as Charlottesville, Virginia. In this one-on-one conversation, Woodrow Phoenix talks to Doug about the unique combination of artistry and journalism that makes Crash Course an effective polemic, one that will hopefully persuade people to think carefully about their responsibility when they get behind the wheel of a car. This episode was sponsored by Sidewalk Weekly, the new podcast from Sidewalk Labs. Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get nifty rewards like stickers, t-shirts, and even a copy of Crash Course. Buy a famous “buttery soft” War on Cars t-shirt at Cotton Bureau. Rate and review the podcast on iTunes. SHOW NOTES: Purchase Crash Course and other books featured on The War on Cars via our official Bookshop.org page. More about Woodrow Phoenix at Street Noise Books. Superman battles reckless drivers in Action Comics No. 12, May 1939. (The War on Cars on Twitter) The Solo Cup Bike Lane (BrookynSpoke) and the #RedCupProject (Bicycling Magazine). This episode was produced and recorded by Doug Gordon and edited by Ali Lemer. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1. Questions, comments or suggestions? Shoot us an email: thewaroncars@gmail.com https://thewaroncars.org
Action Comics No. 1 has become the world’s most collectible, and therefore expensive, comic. It is akin to the holy grail for comic book collectors and is affectionately referred to by some simply as "Action One". Only about 100 copies are thought to be in existence and only a few are likely in good condition.On November 30, 2011, via ComicConnect.com, a premier online comic marketplace and auctioneer, a copy of Action Comics No.1 sold for a record-breaking $2.16 million US. It had a CGC rating of 9.0, making it the highest publicly-graded copy of Superman’s first appearance. That particular comic belonged to American actor, Nicolas Cage. Before it was recovered, it was reported stolen from Cage's Bel-Air home in February of 2000. It had been missing for 11 years.
This time: Mike, James, and Shée make room on the casting couch for Big Barda with 1987's Action Comics no. 593! Barda and Mister Miracle's marriage is put to the test when they receive a mysterious VHS tape from stone-faced God demon/podcast inspiration Darkseid. Turns out the morally despicable villain Sleez has hypnotized Barda and is forcing her to act in pornos that her husband may or may not be into! The only problem (okay, there are actually a great many problems here) is that Barda is simply too strong for human co-stars! The solution? Why not mind-control Superman as well and get him in here? There's really no way that could blow up in your face! I guess those New Gods like to live dangerously. Find out more at http://darkseidscouch.com
Lots of ish covered in this one, broh. Craig's headed to Bubonicon, yo. Which are there more of, dude? DeLoreans, or copies of Action Comics No 1? Skeet's buildin' props and Klop's ragin again, broh. New intro beats, mann.
This time on the Couch: Mike, James, and Shée go on meme patrol as they investigate Action Comics no. 457, which is absolutely not about child molestation, so you can all stop posting that cover now. Instead be offended by the story within, where Superman must reveal his identity to a dying kid and the little turd won't believe him despite it being really obvious that he's Clark Kent. Meanwhile baffling new villain Whirlicane builds a giant flying cordoba hat for some reason. Plus, a non-update on trying to nail down the Sybian as a sponsor, a plug for Happy! on SyFy, way too many ads for Slim Jims and scam workout routines, and James goes nuclear defending Michael Jackson.Find out more at http://darkseidscouch.com
This time on the Couch: Mike and James watch Superman "solve" the problematic link between poverty and crime in 1939's Action Comics no. 8! "Solve," of course, being 1930s code for "destroy the entire ghetto in the hopes that it'll guilt the United States government into building better affordable housing." At least you're trying, Supes. It's a story that highlights Superman's oft-overlooked social avenger roots as well as his stunning lack of knowledge pertaining to housing law. Plus, more questionably legitimate movie fun facts, the restoration of weapons-grade douche George W. Bush's public image, and why aren't we all injecting ourselves with John Cena hormones? It's the question Clark Kent would be asking if he were a somewhat better journalist.Find out more at http://darkseidscouch.com
In this episode we explore the choices behind the colors of Man of Steel, for the look of the film and the colors of the costume. We look at how the context of colors helps us to have compassion for complexity of reality rather than rely on black and white rules and condemnations. We take a look at what it will take to rebuild Metropolis and what a break down Zack Snyder's recent revelations about Lex Luthor. Answers, insights, and commentary on: Color grading and the "blockbuster look" Snyder stepping away from a stylized approach Color fidelity of Blu-Ray releases How color was used to distinguish Krypton from Earth Why put Superman in an all-black costume? Why is Superman's color scheme challenging to bring to reality and how to tackle it? Why is Superman shown at night so much in media? Why the context of these color choices might mean more than those who just demand brighter colors? Why the future films might have brighter colors How Superman tackled reality better than Captain America The dangers of dogma and absolutes The cost of rebuilding Metropolis and three possible shortcuts Why Lex Luthor should endorse and ally with Superman ...and more! In the Mailbag: Will Superman have to rely on tropes to preserve his secret identity? Doesn't Kryptonian armor grant super strength? Does the DCCU need a Kevin Feige? Will Marvel do a Superman movie after 2033? Man of Steel's Action Comics No. 1 Tribute - YouTube Painting With Pixels Summer Blockbuster Color Grading Movies Ireland Zack Snyder FSInterviews Zack Snyder Every Frame A Painting - What is Bayhem? '96 Laserdisc vs. Blu-Ray - Superman II Colors PBS Digital - The Effect of Color VSauce - Color Constancy TED Talk - Beau Lotto - Optical Illusions Flash TV Talk: John Wesley Shipp Interview How Superman Defeated the KKK One Year To Go! Web: ManOfSteelAnswers.com Twitter: @mosanswers Subscribe: iTunes / RSS / Stitcher / YouTube Proud member of the Superman Podcast Network! Software Generated Transcript
An epic homage to Action Comics No. 1... or just the product of my exhaustion and low-blood sugar? A complete breakdown of the bar and smashed truck scene... how Clark pulled it off and whether he went too far. Featuring clips with Zack Snyder, Allison Crowe, and composer Junkie XL. Answers, insights, and commentary on: This scene as tribute to Action Comics No. 1 What is "source music" in film? "Sweetie" and Clark's love life What kind of charges and sentence could Ludlow face? What's tricky about the truck smashing? How Man of Steel's Clark shows more endurance than Kingdom Come's Superman What Superman shares with the 400 year-old legend of Robin Hood Empathy for others and hope for tomorrow What's that growling noise? ...and more! In the Mailbag: Psychosomatic magical weakness An Understanding Martha episode? Wonder Woman wearing wedges Two ways to swim super fast Batman isn't Iron Man The Man of Steel Myths video series continues: 6 Mini-Myths - YouTube Jimmy Olsen Was Replaced By Jenny Superman Never Tried To Take The Fight Away The Fight Never Left Metropolis The Hostage Family Died He Should Have Covered Zod’s Eyes Superman Never Smiles Man of Steel's Action Comics No. 1 Tribute - YouTube "Choose to Be (Happy)" by Allison Crowe - Album: Little Light Collider interviews Junkie XL Happy Pi Day! Web: ManOfSteelAnswers.com Twitter: @mosanswers Subscribe: iTunes / RSS / Stitcher / YouTube Proud member of the Superman Podcast Network! Software Generated Transcript
Tonight we will be discussing back in August, a pristine copy of Action Comics No. 1, containing the origin story of the Man of Steel, sold for more than $3.2 million on eBay. But even if you don't have that kind of dough, you can see what the historic issue -- rated 9 out of 10 by CGC Comics, an independent grading authority -- looks like thanks to a scan the company posted on its website. Also we will be talking about a KRYPTON being a possible TV SHOW just like SMALLVILLE. Come and join us tonight on your thoughts of a possible KRYPTON TV show.
Tonight we will be discussing back in August, a pristine copy of Action Comics No. 1, containing the origin story of the Man of Steel, sold for more than $3.2 million on eBay. But even if you don't have that kind of dough, you can see what the historic issue -- rated 9 out of 10 by CGC Comics, an independent grading authority -- looks like thanks to a scan the company posted on its website. Also we will be talking about a KRYPTON being a possible TV SHOW just like SMALLVILLE. Come and join us tonight on your thoughts of a possible KRYPTON TV show.
Just this past May, not more than 2 months ago, David Gonzalez, age 35, was busy remodeling an old home in Hoffman, Minn, that he had purchased for just $10,100. But while he was busy tearing out old insulation in the walls and ceiling of the house he uncovered what is considered to be the “Holy Grail” of all comic books: Action Comics edition No. 1. 1938 – the very first comic to introduce the Man of Steel, Superman. Reports indicate the comic book had remained untouched in the home’s ceiling for more than 70 years. Only around 100 issues of this comic book are known to be in existence today, and a recent sale of an Action Comics No. 1 edition in near mint condition took in 2.16 million dollars. To further heighten the attractiveness of Gonzalez’s find for collectors, this past month marked another blockbuster film for Superman: Man of Steel. This was an incredible find, at an incredible time. But the story goes on…