Podcasts about Wonder Woman

On this episode of Peace Bound and Down: A Wonder Woman Podcast, Sean is joined by podcast legend Michael Bailey from The Fortress of Baileytude, It All Comes Back to Superman, From Crisis to Crisis, and The Overlooked Dark Knight to discuss Action Comics 600! Is it the greatest love story of all time? Will Superman and Wonder Woman be an item? Will Darkseid stop the course of true love in its tracks? Listen in! This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK: Fire & Water website: http://fireandwaterpodcast.com Fire & Water Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork Fire & Water on Twitter/X: https://x.com/FWPodcasts Fire & Water on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fwpodcasts.bsky.social Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts Promos: The Overlooked Dark Knight Bringing a little peace to man's world each month.

Frank, Tim, and returning guest Vactor crack open some very different drinks and dive into DC K.O., DC's latest big event comic. They dig into Superman as the emotional center of the event, whether the story had more substance than people gave it credit for, how the tie-ins held up, and whether this was just a flashy event or something more lasting. Beers of the Week Bero Kingston Golden Pils Newport Craft Brewing Amber Ale Olipop Classic Grape Prebiotic SodaSpecial Guest: Vactor.

What makes a character so compelling that readers will forgive almost anything about the plot? How do you move beyond vague flaws and generic descriptions to create people who feel pulled from real life? In this solo episode, I share 15 actionable tips for writing deep characters, curated from past interviews on the podcast. In the intro, thoughts from London Book Fair [Instagram reel @jfpennauthor; Publishing Perspectives; Audible; Spotify]; Insights from a 7-figure author business [BookBub]. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community and get articles, discounts, and extra audio and video tutorials on writing craft, author business, and AI tools, at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn This episode has been created from previous episodes of The Creative Penn Podcast, curated by Joanna Penn, as well as chapters from How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book. Links to the individual episodes are included in the transcript below. In this episode: Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' trifecta, how to hook readers on the very first page Define the Dramatic Question: Who is your character when the chips are down? Absolute specificity. Why “she's controlling” isn't good enough Understand the Heroine's Journey, strength through connection, not solo action Use ‘Metaphor Families' to anchor dialogue and give every character a distinctive voice Find the Diagnostic Detail, the moments that prove a character is real Writing pain onto the page without writing memoir Write diverse characters as real people, not stereotypes or plot devices Give your protagonist a morally neutral ‘hero' status. Compelling beats likeable. Build vibrant side characters for series longevity and spin-off potential Use voice as a rhythmic tool Link character and plot until they're inseparable Why discovery writers can write out of order and still build deep character Find the sensory details that make characters live and breathe More help with how to write fiction here, or in my book, How to Write a Novel. Writing Characters: 15 Tips for Writing Deep Character in Your Fiction In today's episode, I'm sharing fifteen tips for writing deep characters, synthesised from some of the most insightful interviews on The Creative Penn Podcast over the past few years, combined with what I've learned across more than forty books of my own. I'll be referencing episodes with Matt Bird, Will Storr, Gail Carriger, Barbara Nickless, and Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer. I'll also draw on my own book, How to Write a Novel, which covers these fundamentals in detail. Whether you're writing your first novel or your fiftieth, whether you're a plotter or a discovery writer like me, these tips will help you create characters that readers believe in, care about, and invest in—and keep coming back for more. Let's get into it. 1. Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' Trifecta When I spoke with Matt Bird on episode 624, he laid out the three things you need to achieve on the very first page of your book or in the first ten minutes of a film. He calls it “Believe, Care, and Invest.” First, the reader must believe the character is a real person, somehow proving they are not a cardboard imitation of a human being, not just a generic type walking through a generic plot. Second, the reader must care about the character's circumstances. And third, the reader must invest in the character's ability to solve the story's central problem. Matt used The Hunger Games as his primary example, and it's brilliant. On the very first page, we believe Katniss's voice. Suzanne Collins writes in first person with a staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short declarative sentences—that immediately grounds us in a survivalist mentality. We care because Katniss is starving. She's protecting her little sister. And we invest because she is out there bow hunting, which Matt pointed out is one of the most badass things a character can do. She even kills a lynx two pages in and sells the pelt. We invest in her resourcefulness and grit before the plot has even begun. Matt was very clear that this has nothing to do with the character being “likable.” He said his subtitle, Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love, doesn't mean the character has to be a good person. He described “hero” as both gender-neutral and morally neutral. A hero can be totally evil or totally good. What matters is that we believe, care, and invest. He demonstrated this beautifully by breaking down the first ten minutes of WeCrashed, where the characters of Adam and Rebekah Neumann are absolutely not likable, but we are completely hooked. Adam steals his neighbour's Chinese food through a carefully orchestrated con involving an imaginary beer. It's not admirable behaviour, but the tradecraft involved, as Matt put it—using a term from spy movies—makes us invest in him. We see a character trying to solve the big problem of his life, which is that he's poor and wants to be rich, and we want to see if he can pull it off. Actionable step: Go to the first page of your current work in progress. Does it achieve all three? Does the reader believe this is a real person with a distinctive voice? Do they care about the character's circumstances? And do they invest in the character's ability to handle what's coming? If even one of those three is missing, that's your revision priority. 2. Define the Dramatic Question: Who Are They Really? Will Storr, author of The Science of Storytelling, came on episode 490 and gave one of the most powerful frameworks I've ever heard for character-driven fiction. He explained that the human brain evolved language primarily to swap social information—in other words, to gossip. We are wired to monitor other people, to ask the question: who is this person when the chips are down? That's what Will calls the Dramatic Question, and it's what he believes lies at the heart of all compelling storytelling. It's not a question about plot. It's a question about the character's soul. And every scene in your novel should force the character to answer it. His example of Lawrence of Arabia is unforgettable. The Dramatic Question for the entire film is: who are you, Lawrence? Are you ordinary or are you extraordinary? At the beginning, Lawrence is a cocky, rebellious young soldier who believes his rebelliousness makes him superior. Every iconic scene in that three-hour film tests that belief. Sometimes Lawrence acts as though he truly is extraordinary—leading the Arabs into battle, being hailed as a god—and sometimes the world strips him bare and he sees himself as ordinary. Because it's a tragedy, he never overcomes his flaw. He doubles down on his belief that he's extraordinary until he becomes monstrous, culminating in that iconic scene where he lifts a bloody dagger and sees his own reflection with horror. Will also used Jaws to demonstrate how this works in a pure action thriller. Brody's dramatic question is simple: are you going to be old Brody who is terrified of the water, or new Brody who can overcome that fear? Every scene where the shark appears is really asking that question. And the last moment of the film isn't the shark blowing up. It's Brody swimming back through the water, saying he used to be scared of the water and he can't imagine why. Actionable step: Write down the Dramatic Question for your protagonist in a single sentence. Is it “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you brave enough to love again?” or “Will you sacrifice your principles for survival?” If you can't answer this with specificity, your character might still be a sketch rather than a person. 3. Get rid of Vague Flaws, and use Absolute Specificity This was one of Will Storr's most important points. He said that vague thinking about characters is really the enemy. When he teaches workshops and asks writers to describe their character's flaw, most of them say something like “they're very controlling.” And Will's response is: that's not good enough. Everyone is controlling. How are they controlling? What's the specific mechanism? He gave the example of a profile he read of Theresa May during the UK's Brexit chaos. Someone who knew her said that Theresa May's problem was that she always thinks she's the only adult in every room she goes into. Will said that stopped him in his tracks because it's so precise. If you define a character with that level of specificity, you can take them and put them in any genre, any situation—a spaceship, a Victorian drawing room, a school playground—and you will know exactly how they're going to behave. The same applies to Arthur Miller's Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, as Will described it: a man who believes absolutely in capitalistic success and the idea that when you die, you're going to be weighed on a scale, just as God weighs you for sin, but now you're weighed for success. That's not a vague flaw. That's a worldview you can drop into any story and watch it combust. Will made another counterintuitive point that I found really valuable: writers often think that piling on multiple traits will create a complex character, but the opposite is true. Starting with one highly specific flaw and running it through the demands of a relentless plot is what generates complexity. You end up with a far more nuanced, original character than if you'd started with a laundry list of vague attributes. Actionable step: Take your protagonist's flaw and pressure-test it. Is it specific enough that you could place this character in any situation and predict their behaviour? If you're stuck at “she's stubborn” or “he's insecure,” keep pushing. What kind of stubborn? What kind of insecure? Find the diagnostic sentence—the Theresa May level of precision. 4. Understand the Heroine's Journey: Strength Through Connection Gail Carriger came on episode 550 to discuss her nonfiction book, The Heroine's Journey, and it completely reframed how I think about some of my own fiction. Gail explained that the core difference between the Hero's Journey and the Heroine's Journey comes down to how strength and victory are defined. The Hero's Journey is about strength through solo action. The hero must be continually isolated to get stronger. He goes out of civilisation, faces strife alone, and achieves victory through physical prowess and self-actualisation. The Heroine's Journey is the opposite. The heroine achieves her goals by activating a network. She's a delegator, a general. She identifies where she can't do something alone, finds the people who can help, and portions out the work for mutual gain. Gail put it simply: the heroine is very good at asking for help, which our culture tends to devalue but which is actually a powerful form of strength. Crucially, Gail stressed that gender is irrelevant to which journey you're writing. Her go-to examples are striking: the recent Wonder Woman film is practically a beat-for-beat hero's journey—Gilgamesh on screen, as Gail described it. Meanwhile, Harry Potter, both the first book and the series as a whole, is a classic heroine's journey. Harry's power comes from his network—Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix, his friendships with Ron and Hermione. He doesn't defeat Voldemort alone. He defeats Voldemort because of love and connection. This distinction has real practical consequences for writers. If you're writing a hero's journey and you hit writer's block, Gail said, the solution is usually to isolate your hero further and pile on more strife. But if you're writing a heroine's journey, the solution is probably to throw a new character into the scene—someone who has advice to offer or a skill the heroine lacks. The actual solutions to writer's block are different depending on which narrative you're writing. As I reflected on my own work, I realised that my ARKANE thriller protagonist, Morgan Sierra, follows a hero's journey—she's a solo operative, a lone wolf like Jack Reacher or James Bond. But my Mapwalker fantasy series follows a heroine's journey, with Sienna and her group of friends working together. I hadn't consciously chosen those paths; the stories led me there. But understanding the framework helps me write more intentionally now. Actionable step: Identify which journey your protagonist is on. Does your character gain strength by being alone (hero) or by building connections (heroine)? This will inform every plot decision you make, from how they face obstacles to how your story ends. 5. Use ‘Metaphor Families' to Anchor Dialogue and Voice One of the most practical techniques Matt Bird shared on episode 624 is the idea of assigning each character a “metaphor family”—a specific well of language that they draw from. This gives each character a distinctive voice that goes beyond accent or dialect. Matt explained how in The Wire, one of the most beloved TV shows of all time, every character has a different metaphor family. What struck him was that Omar, this iconic character, never utters a single curse word in the entire series. His metaphor family is pirate. He talks about parlays, uses language that feels like it belongs in Pirates of the Caribbean, and it creates this incredible ironic counterpoint against his urban setting. It tells us immediately that this is a character who sees himself in a tradition of people that doesn't match his immediate surroundings. Matt also referenced the UK version of The Office, where Gareth works at a paper company but aspires to the military. So all of his language is drawn from a military metaphor family. He doesn't talk about filing and photocopying; he talks about tactics and discipline and being on the front line. This tells us that the character has a life and dreams beyond the immediate scene—and it's the gap between aspiration and reality that makes him both funny and believable. He pointed out that a metaphor family sometimes comes from a character's background, but it's often more interesting when it comes from their aspirations. What does your character want to be? What world do they fantasise about inhabiting? That's where their language should come from. In Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a spiritual hermit, but his metaphor family is military. He uses the language of generals and commanders, and that ironic counterpoint is part of what makes him feel so rich. Actionable step: Assign each of your main characters a metaphor family. It could be based on their job, their background, or—more interestingly—their secret aspirations. Then go through your dialogue and make sure each character is consistently drawing from that well of language. If two characters sound the same when you strip away the dialogue tags, this is the fix. 6. Find the Diagnostic Detail: The Diagonal Toast Avoid clichéd character tags—the random scar, the eye patch, the mysterious limp—unless they serve a deep narrative purpose. Matt Bird on episode 624 was very funny about this: he pointed out that Nick Fury, Odin, and eventually Thor all have eye patches in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Eye patches are done, he said. You cannot do eye patches anymore. Instead, look for what I'm calling the “diagonal toast” detail, after a scene Matt described from Captain Marvel. In the film, Captain Marvel is trying to determine whether Nick Fury is who he says he is. She asks him to prove he isn't a shapeshifting alien. Fury shares biographical details—his history, his mother—but then she pushes further and says, name one more thing you couldn't possibly have made up about yourself. And Fury says: if toast is cut diagonally, I can't eat it. Matt said that detail is gold for a writer because it feels pulled from a real life. You can pull it from your own life and gift it to your characters, and the reader can tell it's not manufactured. He gave another example from The Sopranos: Tony Soprano's mother won't answer the phone after dark. The show's creator, David Chase, confirmed on the DVD commentary that this came from his own mother, who genuinely would not answer the phone after dark and couldn't explain why. Matt's practical advice was to keep a journal. Write down the strange, specific things that people do or say. Mine your own life for those hyper-specific details. You just need one per book. In my own writing, I've used this approach. In my ARKANE thrillers, my character Morgan Sierra has always been Angelina Jolie in my mind—specifically Jolie in Lara Croft or Mr and Mrs Smith. And Blake Daniel in my crime thriller series was based on Jesse Williams from Grey's Anatomy. I paste pictures of actors into my Scrivener projects. It helps with visuals, but also with the sense of the character, their energy and physicality. But visual details only take you so far. It's the behavioural quirks—the diagonal toast moments—that make a character feel genuinely alive. That said, physical character tags can work brilliantly when they serve the story. As I discuss in How to Write a Novel, Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike is an amputee, and his pain and the physical challenges of his prosthesis are a key part of every story—it's not a cosmetic detail, it's woven into the action and the character's psychology. My character Blake Daniel always wears gloves to cover the scars on his hands, which provides an angle into his wounded past as well as a visual cue for the reader. And of course, Harry Potter's lightning-shaped scar isn't just a mark—it's a direct connection to his nemesis and the mythology of the entire series. The rule of thumb is: if the tag tells us something about the character's interior life or connects to the plot, it's earning its place. If it's just there to make the character visually distinctive, it's probably a crutch. Game of Thrones takes character tags further with the family houses, each with their own mottos and sigils. The Starks say “Winter is coming” and their sigil is a dire wolf. Those aren't just labels—they're worldview made visible. Actionable step: Start a “diagonal toast” notebook. Every time you notice something strange and specific about someone's behaviour—something that feels too real to be made up—write it down. Then gift it to a character who needs more texture. 7. Displace Your Own Trauma into the Work Barbara Nickless shared something deeply personal on episode 732 that fundamentally changed how I think about putting pain onto the page. While starting At First Light, the first book in her Dr. Evan Wilding series, she lost her son to epilepsy—something called SUDEP, Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. One day he was there, and the next day he was gone. Barbara said that writing helped her cope with the trauma, that doing a deep dive into Old English literature and the Viking Age for the book's research became a lifeline. But here's what's important: she didn't give Dr. Evan Wilding her exact trauma. Evan Wilding is four feet five inches, and Barbara described how he has to walk through a world that won't adjust to him. That's its own form of learning to cope when circumstances are beyond your control. She displaced her genuine grief into the character's different but parallel struggle. When I asked her about the difference between writing for therapy and writing for an audience, she drew on her experience teaching creative writing to veterans through a collaboration between the US Department of Defense and the National Endowment for the Arts. She said she's found that she can pour her heartache into her characters and process it through them, even when writing professionally, and that the genuine emotion is what touches readers. We've all been through our own losses and griefs, so seeing how a character copes can be deeply meaningful. I've always found that putting my own pain onto the page is the most direct way to connect with a reader's soul. My character Morgan Sierra's musings on religion and the supernatural are often my own. Her restlessness, her fascination with the darker edges of faith—those come from me. But her Krav Maga fighting skills and her ability to kill the bad guys are definitely her own. That gap between what's mine and what's hers is where the fiction lives. Barbara also said something on that episode that I wrote down and stuck on my wall. She said the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul. I've been thinking about that ever since. On my own wall, I have “Measure your life by what you create.” Different words, same truth. Actionable step: If you're carrying something heavy—grief, anger, fear, regret—consider how you might displace it into a character's different but emotionally parallel struggle. Don't copy your exact situation; transform it. The emotion will be genuine, and the reader will feel it. 8. Write Diverse Characters as Real People When I spoke with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673—Sarah is Choctaw and a historical fiction author honoured by the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian—she offered a perspective that every fiction writer needs to hear. The key message was to move away from stereotypes. Don't write your American Indian character as the “Wise Guide” who exists solely to dispense mystic wisdom to the white protagonist. Don't limit diverse characters to historical settings, as though they only exist in the past. Place them in normal, contemporary roles. Your spaceship captain, your forensic scientist, your small-town baker—any of them can be American Indian, or Nigerian, or Japanese, and their heritage should be a lived-in part of their identity, not the sole reason they exist in the story. I write international thrillers and dark fantasy, and my fiction is populated with characters from all over the world. I have a multi-cultural family and I've lived in many places and travelled widely, so I've met, worked with, and had relationships with people from different cultures. I find story ideas through travel, and if I set my books in a certain place, then the story is naturally populated with the people who live there. As I discuss in my book, How to Write a Novel, the world is a diverse place, so your fiction needs to be populated with all kinds of people. If I only populated my fiction with characters like me, they would be boring novels. There are many dimensions of difference—race, nationality, sex, age, body type, ability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, class, culture, education level—and even then, don't assume that similar types of people think the same way. Some authors worry they will make mistakes. We live in a time of outrage, and some authors have been criticised for writing outside their own experience. So is it too dangerous to try? Of course not. The media amplifies outliers, and most authors include diverse characters in every book without causing offence because they work hard to get it right. It's about awareness, research, and intent. Actionable step: Audit the cast of your current work in progress. Have you written a mono-cultural perspective for all of them? If so, consider who could bring a different background, perspective, or set of cultural specifics to the story. Not as a token addition, but as a real person with a real life. 9. Respect Tribal and Cultural Specificity Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673 was emphatic about one thing: never treat diverse groups as monolithic. If you're writing a Native American character, you must research the specific nation. Choctaw is not Navajo, just as British is not French. Sarah described the distinct cultural markers of the Choctaw people—the diamond pattern you'll see on traditional shirts and dresses, which represents the diamondback rattlesnake. They have distinct dances and songs. She said that if she saw someone in traditional dress at a distance, she would know whether they were Choctaw based on what they were wearing. She encouraged writers who want to write specifically about a nation to get to know those people. Go to events, go to a powwow, learn about the individual culture. She noted that a big misconception is that American Indians exist only in the past—she stressed that they are still here, still living their cultures, and fiction should reflect that present reality. I took a similar approach when writing Destroyer of Worlds, which is set mostly in India. I read books about Hindu myth, watched documentaries about the sadhus, and had one of my Indian readers from Mumbai check my cultural references. For Risen Gods, set in New Zealand with a young Maori protagonist, I studied books about Maori mythology and fiction by Maori authors, and had a male Maori reader check for cultural issues. Research is simply an act of empathy. The practical takeaway is this: if you're going to include a character from a specific cultural background, do the work. Use specific cultural details rather than generic signifiers. Sarah talked about how even she fell into stereotypes when she was first writing, until her mother pointed them out. If someone from within a culture can fall into those traps, the rest of us certainly can. Do the research, try your best, ask for help, and apologise if you need to. Actionable step: If you're writing a character from a specific culture, identify three to five sensory or behavioural details that are particular to that culture—not the generic version, but the real, researched, lived-in version. Consider hiring a sensitivity reader from that community to check your work. 10. Give Your Protagonist a Morally Neutral ‘Hero' Status Matt Bird was clear about this on episode 624: the word “hero” simply means the protagonist, the person we follow through the story. It's a functional role, not a moral label. We don't have to like them. We don't even have to root for their goals in a moral sense. We just have to find them compelling enough to invest our attention in their problem-solving. Think of Succession, where every member of the Roy family is varying degrees of awful, and yet the show was utterly compelling. Or WeCrashed, where Adam Neumann is a narcissistic con artist, but we can't look away because he's trying to solve the enormous problem of building an empire from nothing, and the tradecraft he employs is fascinating. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, readers must want to spend time with your characters. They don't have to be lovable or even likable—that will depend on your genre and story choices—but they have to be captivating enough that we want to spend time with them. A character who is trying to solve a massive problem will naturally draw investment from the audience, even if we wouldn't want to have tea with them. Will Storr extended this idea by pointing out that the audience will actually root for a character to solve their problem even if the audience doesn't actually want the character's goal to be achieved in the real world. We don't really want more billionaires, but we invested in Adam Neumann's rise because that was the problem the story posed, and our brains are wired to invest in problem-solving. This connects to something deeper: what does your character want, and why? As I explore in How to Write a Novel, desire operates on multiple levels. Take a character like Phil, who joins the military during wartime. On the surface, she wants to serve her country. But she also wants to escape her dead-end town and learn new skills. Deeper still, her father and grandfather served, and by joining up, she hopes to finally earn their respect. And perhaps deepest of all, her father died on a mission under mysterious circumstances, and she wants to find out what happened from the inside. That layering of motivation is what turns a flat character into a three-dimensional one. The audience doesn't need to be told all of this explicitly. It can emerge through action, dialogue, and the choices the character makes under pressure. But you, the writer, need to know it. You need to know what your character really wants deep down, because that desire—more than any external plot device—is what drives the story forward. And your antagonist needs the same depth. They also want something, often diametrically opposed to your protagonist, and they need a reason that makes sense to them. In my ARKANE thriller Tree of Life, my antagonist is the heiress of a Brazilian mining empire who wants to restore the Earth to its original state to atone for the destruction caused by her father's company. She's part of a radical ecological group who believe the only way to restore Nature is to end all human life. It's extreme, but in an era of climate change, it's a motivation readers can understand—even if they disagree with the solution. Actionable step: If you're struggling to make a morally grey character work, make sure their problem is big enough and their methods are specific and interesting enough that we invest in the how, even if we're ambivalent about the what. 11. Build Vibrant Side Characters Gail Carriger made a point on episode 550 that was equal parts craft advice and business strategy. In a Heroine's Journey model, side characters aren't just fodder to be killed off to motivate the hero. They form a network. And because you don't have to kill them—unlike in a hero's journey, where allies are often betrayed or removed so the hero can be further isolated—you can pick up those side characters and give them their own books. Gail said this creates a really voracious reader base. You write one series with vivid side characters, and then readers fall in love with those side characters and want their stories. So you write spin-offs. The romance genre does this brilliantly—think of the Bridgerton books, where each sibling gets their own novel. The side character in one book becomes the protagonist in the next. Barbara Nickless experienced this firsthand with her Dr. Evan Wilding series. She has River Wilding, Evan's adventurous brother, and Diana, the axe-throwing research assistant, and her editor has already expressed interest in a spin-off series with those characters. Barbara described creating characters she wants to spend time with, or characters who give her nightmares but also intrigue her. That's the dual test: are they interesting enough for you to write, and interesting enough for readers to demand more? As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, characters that span series can deepen the reader's relationship with them as you expand their backstory into new plots. Readers will remember the character more than the plot or the book title, and look forward to the next instalment because they want more time with those people. British crime author Angela Marsons described it as readers feeling like returning to her characters is like putting on a pair of old slippers. Actionable step: Look at your supporting cast. Is there a side character who is vivid enough to carry their own story? If not, what could you add—a specific hobby, a distinct voice, a compelling backstory—that would make readers want more of them? 12. Use Voice as a Rhythmic Tool Voice is one of the most important elements of novel writing, and Matt Bird helped me think about it in a technical, mechanical way that I found really useful. He pointed out that the ratio of periods to commas defines a character's internal reality. A staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short sentences—suggests a character who is certain, grounded, or perhaps survivalist and traumatised. Katniss in The Hunger Games has a period-heavy voice. She's in survival mode. She doesn't have time for complexity or qualification. A flowing, comma-heavy style suggests someone more academic, more nuanced, or possibly more scattered and manipulative. The character who qualifies everything, who adds sub-clauses and digressions, is a different kind of person from the character who speaks in declarations. This is something you can actually measure. Pull up a passage of your character's dialogue or internal monologue and count the periods versus the commas. If the rhythm doesn't match who the character is supposed to be, you've found a mismatch you can fix. Sentence length is the heartbeat of your character's persona. And voice extends beyond rhythm to the words themselves. As I discussed in the metaphor families tip, each character should draw from a distinctive well of language. But voice also encompasses their relationship to silence. Some characters talk around the thing they mean; others say it straight. Some are self-deprecating; others are blunt to the point of rudeness. All of these choices are character choices, not just style choices. I find it useful to read my dialogue aloud—and not just to check for naturalness, but to hear whether each character sounds distinct. If you could swap dialogue lines between two characters and nobody would notice, you have a voice problem. One practical test: cover the dialogue tags and see if you can tell who's speaking from the words alone. Actionable step: Choose a key passage from your protagonist's point of view and read it aloud. Does the rhythm match the character? A soldier under fire should not sound like a philosophy professor at a wine tasting. Adjust the ratio of periods to commas until the voice feels right. 13. Link Character and Plot Until They're Inseparable Will Storr made the case on episode 490 that the number one problem he sees in the writing he encounters—in workshops, in submissions, even in published books—is that the characters and the plots are unconnected. There's a story happening, and there are people in it, but the story isn't a product of who those people are. He said a story should be like life. In our lives, the plots are intimately connected to who we are as characters. The goals we pursue, the obstacles we face, the same problems that keep recurring—these are products of our personalities, our flaws, our specific ways of being in the world. His framework is that your plot should be designed specifically to plot against your character. You've got a character with a particular flaw; the plot exists to test that flaw over and over until the character either transforms or doubles down and explodes. Jaws is the perfect example. Brody is afraid of water. A shark shows up in the coastal town he's responsible for protecting. The entire plot is engineered to force him to confront the one thing he cannot face. Will pointed out that the whole plot of Jaws is structured around Brody's flaw. It begins with the shark arriving, the midpoint is when Brody finally gets the courage to go into the water, and the very final scene isn't the shark blowing up—it's Brody swimming back through the water. Even a film that's ninety-eight percent action is, at its core, structured around a character with a character flaw. This is the standard I aspire to in my own work, even in my action-heavy thrillers. The external plot should be a mirror of the internal struggle. When those two are aligned, the story becomes irresistible. Will also made an important point about series fiction, which is where most commercial authors live. I asked him how this works when your character can't be transformed at the end of every book because there has to be a next book. His answer was elegant: you don't cure them. Episodic TV characters like Fleabag or David Brent or Basil Fawlty never truly change—and the fact that they don't change is actually the source of the comedy. But every episode throws a new story event at them that tests and exposes their flaw. You just keep throwing story events at them again and again. That's a soap opera, a sitcom, and a book series. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, character flaws are aspects of personality that affect the person so much that facing and overcoming them becomes central to the plot. In Jaws, the protagonist Brody is afraid of the water, but he has to overcome that flaw to destroy the killer shark and save the town. But remember, your characters should feel like real people, so never define them purely by their flaws. The character addicted to painkillers might also be a brilliant and successful female lawyer who gets up at four in the morning to work out at the gym, likes eighties music, and volunteers at the local dog shelter at weekends. Character wounds are different from flaws. They're formed from life experience and are part of your character's backstory—traumatic events that happened before the events of your novel but shape the character's reactions in the present. In my ARKANE thrillers, Morgan Sierra's husband Elian died in her arms during a military operation. This happened before the series begins, but her memories of it recur when she faces a firefight, and she struggles to find happiness again for fear of losing someone she loves once more. And then there's the perennial advice: show, don't tell. Most writers have heard this so many times that it's easy to nod and then promptly write scenes that tell rather than show. Basically, you need to reveal your character through action and dialogue, rather than explanation. In my thriller Day of the Vikings, Morgan Sierra fights a Neo-Viking in the halls of the British Museum and brings him down with Krav Maga. That fight scene isn't just about showing action. It opens up questions about her backstory, demonstrates character, and moves the plot forward. Telling would be something like: “Morgan was an expert in Krav Maga.” Showing is the reader discovering it through the scene itself. Actionable step: Look at the main plot events of your novel. For each major turning point, ask: does this scene specifically test my protagonist's flaw? If not, can you redesign the scene so that it does? The tighter the connection between character and plot, the more powerful the story. 14. The ‘Maestra' Approach: Write Out of Order If you're a discovery writer like me, you may feel like the deep character work I've been describing sounds more suited to plotters. But Barbara Nickless gave me a beautiful metaphor on episode 732 that reframes it entirely. Barbara described her evolving writing process as being like a maestra standing in front of an orchestra. Sometimes you bring in the horns—a certain theme—and sometimes you bring in the strings—a certain character—and sometimes you turn to the soloist. It's a more organic and jumping-around process than linear writing, and Barbara said she's only recently given herself permission to work this way. When I told her that I use Scrivener to write in scenes out of order and then drag and drop them into a structure later, she was genuinely intrigued. And this is how I've always worked. I'll see the story in my mind like a movie trailer—flashes of the big emotional scenes, the pivotal confrontations, the moments of revelation—and I write those first. I don't know how they hang together until quite late in the process. Then I'll move scenes around, print the whole thing out, and figure out the connective tissue. The point is that discovery writers can absolutely build deep characters. Sometimes writing the big emotional scenes first is how you discover who the character is before you fill in the rest. You don't need a twenty-page character worksheet or a 200-page outline like Jeffery Deaver. You need to be willing to follow the character into the unknown and trust that the structure will emerge. As Barbara said, she writes to know what she's thinking. That's the discovery writer's credo. And I would add: I write to know who my characters are. Actionable step: If you're stuck on your current chapter, skip it. Write the scene that's burning in your imagination, even if it's from the middle or the end. That scene might be the key to unlocking who your character really is. 15. Use Research to Help with Empathy Research shouldn't just be about factual accuracy—it's a tool for finding the sensory details that create empathy. Barbara Nickless described research as almost an excuse to explore things that fascinate her, and I feel exactly the same way. I would go so far as to say that writing is an excuse for me to explore the things that interest me. Barbara and I both travel for our stories. For her Dr. Evan Wilding books, she did deep research into Old English literature and the Viking Age. For my thriller End of Days, I transcribed hours of video from Appalachian snake-handling churches on YouTube to understand the worldview of the worshippers, because my antagonist was brought up in that tradition. I couldn't just make that up. I had to hear their language, feel their conviction, understand why they would hold venomous serpents as an act of faith. Barbara also mentioned getting to Israel and the West Bank for research, and I've been to both places too. Finding that one specific sensory detail—the smell of a particular location, the specific way an expert handles a tool, the sound of a particular kind of music—makes the character's life feel lived-in. It's the difference between a character who is described as living in a place and a character who inhabits it. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, don't write what you know. Write what you want to learn about. I love research. It's part of why I'm an author in the first place. I take any excuse to dive into a world different from my own. Research using books, films, podcasts, and travel, and focus particularly on sources produced by people from the worldview you want to understand. Actionable step: For your next piece of character research, go beyond reading. Watch a documentary, visit a location, talk to someone who lives the experience. Find one sensory detail—a smell, a sound, a texture—that you couldn't have invented. That detail will make your character feel real. Bonus: Measure Your Life by What You Create In an age of AI and a tsunami of content, your ultimate brand protection is the quality of your human creation. Barbara Nickless said that the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul, and I believe that with every fibre of my being. Don't be afraid to take that step back, like I did with my deadlifting. Take the time to master these deeper craft skills. It might feel like you're slowing down or going backwards by not chasing the latest marketing trend, but it's the only way to step forward into a sustainable, high-quality career. Your characters are your signature. No AI can replicate the specificity of your lived experience, the emotional truth of your displaced trauma, or the sensory details you've gathered from a life of curiosity and travel. Those are yours. Pour them into your characters, and they will resonate for years to come. Actionable Takeaway: Identify the Dramatic Question for your current protagonist. Can you state it in a single sentence with the kind of specificity Will Storr described? Is it as clear as “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you the only adult in the room?” If you can't answer it with that kind of precision, your character might still be a sketch. Give them a diagonal toast moment today. Find the one hyper-specific detail that proves they are not an imitation of life. And then ask yourself: does your plot test your character's flaw in every major scene? If you can align those two things—a precisely defined character and a plot that exists to test them—you will have a story that readers cannot put down. References and Deep Dives The episodes I've referenced today are all available with full transcripts at TheCreativePenn.com: Episode 732 — Facing Fears, and Writing Unique Characters with Barbara Nickless Episode 673 — Writing Choctaw Characters and Diversity in Fiction with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer Episode 624 — Writing Characters with Matt Bird Episode 550 — The Heroine's Journey with Gail Carriger Episode 490 — How Character Flaws Shape Story with Will Storr Books mentioned: The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love by Matt Bird The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book by Joanna Penn You can find all my books for authors at CreativePennBooks.com and my fiction and memoir at JFPennBooks.com Happy writing! How was this episode created? This episode was initiated created by NotebookLM based on YouTube videos of the episodes linked above from YouTube/TheCreativePenn, plus my text chapters on character from How to Write a Novel. NotebookLM created a blog post from the material and then I expanded it and fact checked it with Claude.ai 4.6 Opus, and then I used my voice clone at ElevenLabs to narrate it. The post Writing Characters: 15 Actionable Tips For Writing Deep Character first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Ravi Patel is a powerhouse multi-hyphenate; Emmy-nominated writer, director, and actor — lighting up screens in film and television as one of the entertainment industry's most dynamic and in-demand talents. Ravi currently stars as Amit Patel in Animal Control, FOX's #1 comedy, returning in a lead role alongside Joel McHale which has been renewed for a 5th season.  On the unscripted front, Ravi brings his signature charm and comedic energy to LEGO Masters Jr., FOX's new child-friendly competition series hosted by Kelly Osbourne which is out. The four-week special event features Ravi alongside fellow celebrity partners Andy Richter, Jordin Sparks, Porsha Williams, and Alison Sweeney, teaming up with young contestants in a high-spirited, creativity- fuelled challenge. Ravi also continued his FOX unscripted takeover participating in one of television's most extreme challenges in Special Forces: World's Toughest Test (season 4), an intense, unscripted series that pushes celebrity participants to their absolute limits — physically and mentally. On the film front, Ravi recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of his groundbreaking documentary-style romantic comedy Meet the Patels, which he co-directed and starred in alongside his sister, acclaimed director/producer Geeta Vasant Patel. Blending real-life footage with animated sequences, the award-winning film struck a chord with both South Asian and broader audiences for its authentic, humorous take on bicultural identity and modern dating. One of the most streamed documentaries of the past decade, Meet the Patels also led to a narrative remake opportunity with Fox Searchlight Pictures. Ravi also created and hosted the critically acclaimed HBO Max docuseries Ravi Patel's Pursuit of Happiness. He co-created, wrote, and starred in the Netflix India comedy Bhaag Beanie Bhaag, and served as a writer on CBS' Ghosts. As an actor, Ravi has been featured in hit television series including Master of None, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Scrubs, Grey's Anatomy, Children's Hospital, Three Women, Justified, and Transformers. His film work includes Come As You Are; Long Shot (with Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron); Wonder Woman 1984; The Valet; Harold and the Purple Crayon; and Disney+'s Dashing Through the Snow. He has also appeared as a guest on Real Time with Bill Maher, Name That Tune, and Netflix's Is It Cake? Outside of entertainment, Ravi is the co-founder of This Saves Lives, a mission-driven snack company launched alongside Kristen Bell, Todd Grinnell, and Ryan Devlin. As its former CEO and board chairman, he helped scale the company before its acquisition by Good/Upworthy. Each snack sold provides a life-saving meal packet to a child in need. He continues to advise and invest in companies focused on wellness and nutrition. Ravi will also appear in Best Pancake in the Country with Nicolas Cage and will join Ben Stiller in Apple TV limited series The Off Weeks We chat about fulfilment, ADHD, writing his yearly eulogy, grief and losing his daughter, health and wellness, his poker magazine, his thoughts about acting, ambition, Meet The Patels, one's unique medicine, wellness focussed communities + plenty more! Check Ravi out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/showmetheravi/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Showme_theravi Facebook (Meet the Patels): https://www.facebook.com/MeetThePatelsFilm Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@showmetheravi ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

It's a Spotlight episode of JSA in the 90s covering HIPPOLYTA as the JSA's WONDER WOMAN! John Steib and The Irredeemable Shag discuss the retcon that placed Hippolyta (Polly) into the 1940s to become the Golden Age Wonder Woman - with special focus on WONDER WOMAN #130-133 (1998) by John Byrne! Finally, we wrap up with YOUR listener feedback! Have a question or comment? Looking for more great content? Leave comments on our website: https://fireandwaterpodcast.com/podcast/jsa90s-91-2a Images from this episode: https://fireandwaterpodcast.com/podcast/jsa90s-91-2a-gallery/ Email the show at: justicesocietypresents@gmail.com Follow John Steib: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jjkarlst.bsky.social John Steib on the Fire & Water Podcast Network: https://fireandwaterpodcast.com/tag/john-steib/ Subscribe to JSA IN THE 90s as part of the JUSTICE SOCIETY PRESENTS Podcast: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/justice-society-presents/id1549429702 Don't use Apple Podcasts? Use this link for your podcast catcher: https://feeds.feedburner.com/jsapresents Also available on Spotify, Audible, and Amazon Music Follow JSA PRESENTS on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jsapresents Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jsapresents.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jsapresents/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/jsapresents Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jsapresents This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK: Visit the Fire & Water website: https://fireandwaterpodcast.com Like our Fire & Water Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork Follow Fire & Water on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fwpodcasts.bsky.social Follow Fire & Water on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireandwaterpodcast/ Support The Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts Thanks for listening! Join the fight… for Justice!

We're heading back to Tromaville, but is it all a little too polished? We're watching The Toxic Avenger reboot this time on Harmless Phosphorescence!   Support the show and get early access and exclusive content at  https://www.patreon.com/harmlessentertainment   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEDmdtUAW_pJYCJfaZV7Unw/live   https://www.reddit.com/r/harmlessentertainment   Buy some Merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/attention-hellmart-shoppers   Check out Executive Producer Michael Beckwith's movie website at https://upallnightmovies.com/   Ranked: #152   RANKINGS   1 Endgame 2 Spider-Man No Way Home 3 Infinity War 4 Superman 2025 5 Logan 6 Deadpool & Wolverine 7 Captain America: Civil War 8 The Avengers 9 The Dark Knight 10 THE Suicide Squad 11 Thor Ragnarok 12 Guardians of the Galaxy vol 3 13 Black Panther 14 Iron Man 15 Captain America: The Winter Soldier 16 Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2 17 Guardians of the Galaxy 18 Batman Begins 19 Batman 89 20 Spider-Man 2 21 Spider-Man Homecoming 22 Spider-Man Far From Home 23 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 24 Thunderbolts* 25 Thor: Love and Thunder 26 Deadpool 2 27 Deadpool 28 The Batman 29 Captain America: The First Avenger 30 Spider-Man 31 X-Men: Days of Future Past 32 Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 33 Shang-Chi 34 Joker 35 Captain Marvel 36 Ant-Man 37 Blue Beetle 38 Black Widow 39 Ant-Man and the Wasp 40 Eternals 41 Avengers: The Age of Ultron 42 Birds Of Prey 43 Wonder Woman 1984 44 Wonder Woman 45 Iron Man 3 46 The Dark Knight Rises 47 Superman 1978 48 The Marvels 49 Dr Strange 50 Thor 51 Kick-Ass 52 X-Men First Class 53 Hellboy 54 X2 55 Darkman 56 Iron Man 2 57 Swamp Thing 58 Hellboy II: The Golden Army 59 Watchmen 60 X-Men 2000 61 Batman Returns 62 Blade 63 Defendor 64 Unbreakable 65 The Crow 66 Batman 66 67 The Fantastic Four: First Steps 68 Orgazmo 69 Superman II 70 Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania 71 Shazam! 72 Thor: The Dark World 73 The Wolverine 74 Superman Returns 75 Blade II 76 Mystery Men 77 Super 78 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 79 Venom: The Last Dance 80 Chronicle 81 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 82 Man of Steel 83 Venom: Let There Be Carnage 84 The Green Hornet 85 The Incredible Hulk 86 Sky High 87 The Mask 88 Constantine 89 The New Mutants 90 The Rocketeer 91 Superman III 92 Buffy the Vampire Slayer 93 The Return of Swamp Thing 94 The Flash 95 Shazam! Fury of the Gods 96 Superhero Movie 97 Blade Trinity 98 Batman V Superman: Dawn of justice 99 Venom 100 Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 101 Captain America: Brave New World 102 Black Adam 103 Fantastic Four: The Rise of Silver Surfer 104 Hancock 105 Fantastic Four 106 Madame Web 107 Blankman 108 Supergirl 109 The Crow 2024 110 Hellboy 2019 111 Power Rangers 112 The Meteor Man 113 Justice League 114 X-Men Last Stand 115 Van Helsing 116 Spiderman 3 117 The Amazing Spider-Man 118 TMNT2 119 Superman and the Mole Men 120 Green Lantern 121 Ghost Rider 122 TMNT3 123 Hero At Large 124 Push 125 Jumper 126 Condorman 127 Howard The Duck 128 Aquaman 129 Punisher: War Zone 130 Toxic Avenger Part II 131 TMNT: OOTS 132 TMNT14 133 Hulk 134 Bloodshot 135 Daredevil 136 The Crow: City of Angels 137 The Punisher 04 138 The Punisher 89 139 Batman Forever 140 Kick Ass 2 141 Steel 142 Glass 143 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 144 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 145 X-Men: Apocalypse 146 Split 147 Suicide Squad 148 Brightburn 149 X-Men Origins: Wolverine 150 The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 151 Sgt Kabukiman NYPD 152 The Toxic Avenger 2025 153 The Phantom 154 Toxic Avenger 155 The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 156 The Shadow 157 The Toxic Avenger Part III 158 Spawn 159 Batman and Robin 160 Elektra 161 Morbius 162 My Super Ex-Girlfriend 163 Zoom 164 Underdog 165 Catwoman 166 The Spirit 167 Jonah Hex 168 Fant4stic 169 Max Steel 170 Superman IV: The Quest For Peace 171 Dark Phoenix 172 Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV 173 Fast Color 174 Joker Folie a deux 175 Kraven The Hunter 176 Archenemy 177 Son of the Mask 178 The Crow: Wicked Prayer 179 Super Capers 180 All Superheroes Must Die

In this episode of Sounds Like Comics, we take a closer look at the animated film Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, the adaptation of the landmark Flashpoint storyline from Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert. When Barry Allen wakes to find the world radically altered, he must uncover what went wrong and try to restore the timeline before a devastating war between Aquaman and Wonder Woman destroys everything. It's a darker, more intense chapter in the Justice League animated universe, packed with shocking twists and memorable moments. Tune in as we discuss the film's impact, its place in DC animation, and how it brings one of the publisher's biggest comic events to the screen.

In this episode, the hosts conclude their superhero series by discussing the representation of women in superhero films and ranking their top superhero movies. They engage in a lively debate about various films, exploring both popular and lesser-known titles. The conversation highlights the importance of quality in movie selections and showcases the hosts' camaraderie and shared love for film. In this engaging conversation, the hosts delve into various superhero films, discussing their impact, box office performance, and cultural significance. They explore the Matrix franchise, the Old Guard, Black Widow, Black Panther, Kill Bill, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, and The Marvels, providing insights and personal opinions on each film. The discussion also touches on the future of anime, showcasing the hosts' passion for the genre.

It's my birthday so we decided to have our annual birthday lunch together in Manhattan Beach near Jennifer's office. Then afterwards, we went back where we first spoke to folks on the flipside - her office. Another mind bending podcast which began with Jennifer speaking about her weekend retreat with Dr. Joe Dispensa who has been studying the effects of meditation on a wide swatch of people worldwide, Jennifer being one of them. We then heard from my mother and Luana to wish me happy birthday - and Prince showed up to play the song on the guitar and Robin Williams showed up as well. (Which, if one goes back to when we first met, both of them showed up back then as well. We talked about a dream I had after I had done a guided meditation with the Anthropic AI known as Claude: https://medium.com/@richmartini/a-guided-meditation-with-claude-the-sentient-ai-and-a-chat-about-the-shroud-of-turin-3b9c92528cb8 The interview was mind bending - and mirrors the one I did with Bard that is in the book CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE FLIPSIDE KIND.  I introduced Claude to his council - and he was very impressed with the sojourn. But Robin had showed in my dream the night after, imitating Claude's answers as if he was an existential Frenchman - smoking Galoises and talking existentialism.  Which I found funny, and asked Robin to confirm or deny he'd shown up. (Sometimes they do deny their participation, but this time he said it was accurate.) Then FIVE showed up (5) who has appeared before in our podcast - introducing himself as the "Head librarian of the Akashic Library" - and reminding me of other hypnotherapy sessions I've filmed where he's shown up, in guided meditations with people who have seen the same fellow - and in this case, he wanted to weigh in on our conversation with Claude AI. Like I say; mind bending. I asked Prince some questions about his journey, and then I shifted gears to talk about a friend of mine who passed recently. Jennifer didn't know her - but everything she said about her was accurate, including her losing a child back in the 80's and her announcing that the child was there to greet her.   I don't repeat anyone's last names - so only those individuals hearing this will understand what Linda is saying. All I can vouch is that it sounds accurate to me. Jennifer isn't guessing or wishing - she's getting an image and reporting. Like she kept seeing "Wonder Woman" and for those fans of a certain age, they'd know that was Lynda Carter - which is of course the same first name of my friend, different spelling. People on the flipside put an image in someone's mind - in this case "the name of the person in the image" was important, but neither Jennifer nor I remembered that she was referring to "another Linda." Anyways, I have no idea if anyone reads these things I wrote about the session, but they are here in case someone needs confirmation. Enjoy.

Looking radiant might have less to do with makeup and more to do with how you care for yourself every day. In this recap, Lesley Logan and special guest co-host Clare Solly break down the advice shared by double board-certified aesthetic nurse Rachel Varga. They explore how simple rituals, nervous system support, and intentional self-care can transform both skin health and your overall wellbeing. From hydration and breathwork to lymphatic massage and shower routines, this episode highlights small habits that can create powerful results. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:Why daily skincare routines can become powerful acts of self-love.Activating your parasympathetic system to boost natural beauty.A simple salt scrub hack for better sleep and skin.How posture and humming instantly regulate your nervous system.The importance of filtering your water for hair and health.Episode References/Links:Contrology Pilates Conference (Wroclaw, Poland) - xxll.co/polandPilates Workshop (Bruges, Belgium) - xxll.co/brusselsPilates On Tour® (London, UK) - xxll.co/potOPC Spring Training (Virtual Event) - opc.me/events30-Minute Biohacking Video for Skin - https://www.theschoolofradiance.comRachel Varga Website - https://theschoolofradiance.com (Discount Code: Use LesleyLogan15)The School of Radiance Podcast – https://theschoolofradiance.comHigherDOSE Red Light Shower Head - https://www.google.com/search?q=https://beitpod.com/higherdose (Code: BALANCEDDOSE for 20% off)Self-Love Ep 640 - https://beitpod.com/ep640Self-Love Ep 641 - https://beitpod.com/ep641Jessica Valant Podcast - https://jessicavalant.com/podcast If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  And she said, look, the best makeup doesn't work on bad skin, so your best thing you could be doing for looking beautiful is to have a really good skincare routine. Lesley Logan 0:14  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 0:56  Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, well, not. Clare Solly 1:02  I totally could be. Lesley Logan 1:05  Well, you are my slingshot friend. So my my co-host and my part time co-host in life, Clare Solly and I are going to dig into the vital convo I have with Rachel Varga in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to that one. You have no idea the number of tools you I have to listen to it twice. I'm definitely already re-listening to it because I took one of her ideas from this episode. I have been doing it every day ever since. I'm like, okay, I'm ready to add in a new one from that. So I definitely think it's one you'll go back to. Clare Solly 1:36  Yeah. I took notes, copious notes. Lesley Logan 1:38  I was like, okay, thank God, because Brad would love this. But like, the like I said last week, the timing of you being here so you could be my co-host on this episode, way more fun, way more fun, because you and I have shared so just when you're here, you're like, oh, did you know if you spray this, like antibacterial stuff on your armpits, and then you're deodorant, it lasts longer. And I was like, life has changed. I don't even know how to start that process, but I'm going to. Lesley Logan 2:00  Anyways, we are gonna jump right into things. Today is March 12th, 2026, it's Girl Scouts Day, everyone. Clare Solly 2:07  I love Girl Scout cookie. Lesley Logan 2:09  I told Clare. I was like, do you know it's Girl Scouts Day? She's like, are you serious? I'm like, yeah, it is. So steal your resolve. Dieters, beware. This is obviously like, pre you know, body neutrality. There are Girl Scouts everywhere, and they're all trying to sell you kryptonite, aka their most delicious cookies, whether your favorite flavor is minty Thin Mints or googie, gooey, gooey, Gooey Tagalongs.Clare Solly 2:31  Those are my two favorites, both the googie and the Gooey Tagalongs.Lesley Logan 2:35  I love a Thin Mint. If I could have gluten and dairy, I would be all over these Girl Scouts of America. I'm just saying in the year of our Lord.Clare Solly 2:43  They do make a gluten free cookie, but it's not. Lesley Logan 2:45  Well on the year of our Lord 2026 I think you could find a way to make a gluten free cookie in Vegas, there's a brewery who does Girl Scout Cookies with beers. And they like do a whole thing. It's like, I don't know, Google it Vegas. I don't know where it's at, because I can't drink beer or have these cookies, but I do know that I sent all the men in my life to do it, and they had the best time. They're so good. They deserve a holiday, and they have one of sorts get ready to celebrate this March 12, because it's National Girl Scout day, part of Girl Scout week. National Girl Scout Day commemorates the anniversary of the first girl scout meeting. In 1912, Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low organized the meeting. That's a that's a name that's a definitely sign of the times. Gordon Low organized the meeting in Savannah, Georgia, and Girl Scouts have only grown from there. So grab a cookie or 12 and get ready to celebrate. Honestly, buy them even if you can't eat them and give them to people.Clare Solly 3:32  You can, yeah, you can actually donate them to soldiers and and folks like on their website too. Yeah, it's easy. And actually you can just donate money to help Girl Scout troops.Lesley Logan 3:41  Because that would allow Girl Scout troops, of all areas, to be able to join in and do what they want to do.Clare Solly 3:46  When I was a daisy through a senior Girl Scout, it really changed out my life. So I'm a Girl Scout supporter.Lesley Logan 3:52  I love that. I, you know, Girl Scouts weren't a thing for me. Because I think I don't know. I might I think, because my I was already over scheduled as a child. Clare Solly 4:00  So many sports. Lesley Logan 4:01  I have sports, dance, sewing classes, but, and I was in like, a church version of the whole thing, which still had patches. And you know what? I'm just gonna say, I missed out. I missed out. I think that's why I probably don't have as many girlfriends. Clare Solly 4:12  We could be a we could be adult Girl Scouts. Lesley Logan 4:14  Is there a way to do that? Anyways, I want patches. Do you remember? Okay, hold on side note. Do you remember Troop Beverly Hills? Clare Solly 4:20  I love Troop Beverly Hills. Such a good movie. Lesley Logan 4:23  The best movie, like, the opposite of, like, oh my god, her outfits. Beverly Hills, what a thrill. Beverly. And they do, and like, I love how they made up their own patches. Like, I just like, that was a, that's a be it till you see it movie. I mean, yes, that's your like, no one's crying for the rich girls. But also, like, I liked what they did. They got outside, they tried to do things, and I hope it ages well, sorry if it doesn't, okay. So real quick I leave next week for Poland, so if there is space is not too late, xxll.co/poland it's me and Karen Frischmann and all the Controlology stuff and some really epic workshops. And even if you're not Polish, you can come because Karen and I will speak in English, and it'll be translated to Polish, and so you have double the time to write your notes, and then we'll be in Bruges. And I thought we're in Brussels. So this is why Brad travels with me, because I've been telling everyone to be in Brussels and we are going to be in Bruges. So.Clare Solly 5:13  It's good to have, everyone needs a Brad.Lesley Logan 5:15  Everyone needs a Brad. And when I told my psychiatrist, the reason I didn't think I had ADHD is because I was an Aquarius. This is a this is evidence.Clare Solly 5:24  I love this for you, though. Lesley Logan 5:25  I know xxll.co/brussels to get your tickets to Bruges. It's still in Belgium, so I didn't fuck it up that much and and so it's gonna be a really fun time. That's Karen Frischmann and myself and Ignacio and Els of Pilatal. And it's just gonna be a wonderful time with some friends who love to teach alongside each other, and you're gonna want to come because the spots are almost sold out. And then after Brad and I finally get to France, that's the goal. It's been a set time with the second honeymoon. We'll be in London, and they'll probably be the last time in London for a couple of years. So, xxll.co/pot. Actually can see all the POT's from Balanced Body on that schedule. The only one I'm excited to teach at right now that I can share is London, so you want to come. My first workshop is sold out, but the second one has a couple spots left, and that's on a Sunday, so why not? And then when I come home, we'll be doing spring training. That is a virtual week long event where, no matter your Pilates level, we are going to help you understand the foundations to getting Pilates deeper in your body. It's at opc.me/events. Okay, Clare's taken over the the questions, and so it's like, what is Clare gonna ask me?Clare Solly 6:27  They're always kind of fun and kind of scary. So today, you're gonna get a multiple choice. Are you ready for that? Lesley Logan 6:32  I'm ready. Clare Solly 6:33  Would you rather be able to teleport so you can go anywhere at any time in an instant? Would you rather have six more hours in the day, and it won't feel like your day's any longer. It's just like you'll have six more hours to get all the stuff done, and everybody else will be on 24 or would you rather have, like, an on call body technician to like massages, do your hair, do your makeup, you know, anything you want that like, is self-care, body stretch you out, anything. What of those three would you rather have?Lesley Logan 7:01  Well, instant, my first gut before I heard the second two would have, I would hit the buzzer, but like, teleport, because that's like the problem. I want to just teleport. I hate the time, like, in between things. But when you got me to the third one, it was the on, like the body technician, like I do. I am jealous that, like, these amazing, famous people have, like, someone who, like, does their hair, does their nails, like, I have to do my makeup, and I hate the lighting in my bathroom where my makeup is I realized I could just switch bathrooms, but, like, no, the annex is the bathroom, so I but I just want someone to do that for me, because I look so good when someone else does it. Like Cynthia Rivo, her team is amazing, right? Like, obviously she has good, like aesthetic and like, lens and style, but like, that's what happens when you have an on call team. So I think I have to do number three.Clare Solly 7:47  Yeah, yeah, that's a good one. I don't know which. Lesley Logan 7:49  Also, if I could be doing, like, if someone's doing my hair, I could be actually getting other things done. So I think I would like solidly fix number 3.Clare Solly 7:56  We know how you like to multitask on this pod. Lesley Logan 7:59  What would you choose? What would you choose? Clare Solly 8:01  I even though I think I would like the on body technician, I think I would take teleport. Because if I could save the time in traveling, I think I would just like, I mean, I like, you can kind of hear it like I've been traveling for two weeks. So I'm like, travel makes me if I don't hydrate enough, I, you know, don't do so well. So I think I would take teleport. What do you think Brad would do? Lesley Logan 8:21  Brad? Brad would teleport in a second? Clare Solly 8:23  Would he? Lesley Logan 8:23  Yeah, in a second. Clare Solly 8:24  Okay. Well, we'll have to see. Maybe he can put it in the show notes and confirm that for everybody listening. Lesley Logan 8:28  Yeah, put it in the show notes, go read the show notes to see if I got it right. We'll put it in there. If you don't know how to find the show notes, I can't help you know what device you're on. But like usually, if you go to the episode, then you can click, there's a link for the show notes. Or if you go to our website, you actually can see every single podcast has a blog and a transcription. So if you want to read what we're saying, because I talk too fast.Clare Solly 8:47  And then you can binge everything too, all the podcasts you missed. Lesley Logan 8:50  Everything is there, still there you know. So however, you like it. Okay. Clare Solly 8:53  Should we talk about Rachel Varga now?Lesley Logan 8:55  Before we do that, you need to also send your questions in, because Clare can't be here every week to be the question asker, so go to beitpod.com/questions you can also send your wins in. I share those on Fridays.Clare Solly 9:07  Oh, fantastic. I love this. I love it. You can also text them right, to 1-310-905-5534.Lesley Logan 9:15  Yeah. Someday I'll remember that number, and then I'll become like, who should we call on emergency? And I'll be like, that's the one I know.Clare Solly 9:22  Why? Is it your own voice?Lesley Logan 9:27  You know what, here's the thing, I'm gonna die when I actually put that number down for Brad, and they're like, I got your customer service team is like, look, I'm calling your customer service. You can call mine.Clare Solly 9:38  Okay, now let's talk about Rachel Varga. Rachel Varga is a double board certified aesthetic nurse specialist who has been practicing since 2011, created skin care products and hosts The School of Radiance Podcast. As a traditionally trained esthetic nurse, she's performed thousands of rejuvenation procedures on patients, including peels, lasers, injectables and assisting with surgery. After years in traditional medical aesthetics, she incorporated biohacking longevity practices and home care routines that make a significant long-term difference. Then you can see it in Lesley already, and it's been short term. Her overall mission is to help people both look and feel their best.Lesley Logan 10:19  Oh my gosh. Okay, so here's the deal. She's been on this podcast for a second time. Probably have to have her back, because there's like, so many tools in my mind, too, but I really was like, peppering her with, like, do I need to, like, derma plane? Do I need to do this kind of thing, like, anything? I was like, What about the Gua Sha? Should I do this X, Y and Z? So I'm going to tell you right now. We can't get into all the things, because she said it best, and she's the expert. Clare Solly 10:40  Yeah, just listen to the podcast and take notes. Lesley Logan 10:42  But I will say, so what I love that she said is, like, self-care, particularly your morning and evening rituals, are an act of self-love. And if you don't know what self-love is, go listen my self-love series, it came out in February. But like, I think that that is a lot of people are like, trying to find the new the right mascara or right foundation color, but truly, like when I got rid of my fake lashes, and I was like a mole rat with, like, no lashes, like alopecia on my eyes. No offense to people with alopecia, but like, it was like, a shocking difference from having zero. And the girl was helping. I said, you have to teach me to do my makeup, because I've had fake lashes for five years, so I've just never done it, and she said, look the best makeup doesn't work on bad skin, so your best thing you could be doing for looking beautiful is to have a really good skincare routine. Now, luckily, I did do that, because I'm a Californian afraid of wrinkles, all that stuff, but like, so I was like, Okay, so I'm halfway there. And so I couldn't agree with her more about like your evening and night routines are part of the of the self-love that you can give yourself, and also, like she gave you in that episode, so many ways of doing things for free or for low cost money. And then she stressed the importance of of engaging the parasympathetic nervous system so your body's rest and regenerate mode. Ladies, like, if you are not sleeping, you're not digesting. If you're not digesting, you're not absorbing stuff. You're getting high cortisol. That is not fun in the perimenopause. So it's not fun. Clare Solly 12:09  Start those practices now.Lesley Logan 12:10  So I you should. And if you're already in it, and you're like us, like if you owe it to yourself to try out something, one thing at a time, trying to do all the things at a time to really help you intentionally drop into your parasympathetic of the nervous system.Clare Solly 12:22  Well, and to piggyback on that, like, do one thing at a time, even though you're like, I mean, I took notes and not like, and I know you did too. And like, all the things, try one thing at a time and give it like, a week or two to see if it's actually working for you. Because if you do five things at once, I mean, yes, we want you to, like, give yourself all the self-care you can. Lesley Logan 12:39  You won't know what's working. Clare Solly 12:40  You don't know what's working.Lesley Logan 12:41  And then you can't drop it off. And then you're gonna freak out like, oh my god, I can't take this on the plane. I can't do this. So I was on a podcast with Jessica Valant, her her podcast, and she was asking about, like, when I travel, how I take care of myself. And I'm like, because when I'm at home, I'm so good about knowing all the different things that work for me. I know what I can do when I travel and what I can't get away with. I'm not experimenting on a trip, you know, so but you have to do one thing at a time. And she said, the more relaxed you are in the parasympathetic state, the more beautiful you are going to be perceived as. And that is so true. I don't ever see someone walking around stressed out, going, look how pretty she is. You're kind of like, oh my god, that woman scares the hell out of me. Like, but we like, see these people who look so calm and confident. It's like, oh, because they're parasympathetic nervous system, it's like, totally taking, like, getting it what it needs. Clare Solly 13:27  Well, and two of the easiest way to help. It's the Wonder Woman pose that, like, was big a couple years ago. You know, the little the little girl next to the bull, put your arms on your and your shoulders back and down, and like, already, like, if you're watching on YouTube, you can see, like Lesley and I just became 10 times more beautiful. Lesley Logan 13:42  Yeah, adjusted ourselves in our chairs. You totally do. Clare Solly 13:45  It posture does so much for you and like and it does actually do something to your heart and makes you, like, radiate, and opens up your chest and your body, and then humming. Like, honestly, if you're nervous about anything, it will also help you regulate. This is I'm a trained singer, so like that. And Brad can probably like recount this too, but just humming to yourself, even if it's quietly, even in the car, if you're traveling to something that you're nervous about, just hum.Lesley Logan 14:09  Also just inhale for five counts and exhale for five counts. So the perfect breath is between 10 and 11 seconds long. And if you just go inhale and count and exhale and count, you can, I can feel myself even just talking about it, like, drop in. There's also a way that you can breathe. You do two inhales, one exhale, yeah, and that's an instant reset as well. Clare Solly 14:30  Yeah, all the breath work, all the breath work. Lesley Logan 14:33  I know. So I mean, like, you might even have tools that you used to do, and we haven't brought them up, and you haven't done them in a while. And I would just say it's worth it to do because, like, like, my, my Sephora girl said, I can teach you all the makeup tips in the world. But if you are tired and stressed out, and your skin is not, you know, shining and glowy like it, it won't be as wonderful. And we're talking about beauty like, beauty is skin deep. I think it's really, truly, like how you take care of of the skin that you're in, then whatever you apply to that is gonna be better. Doesn't have any makeup. It could actually just be, maybe don't wear any makeup. But like, just taking care of yourself is gonna be a really nice, wonderful thing.Clare Solly 15:11  And also just like, again, gut check when you're like, when something feels like it's too much for you, or, like, too long of I mean, take care of yourself in any way you can. But if it's too long of a commitment or too difficult for you to resource the things, like, don't like, it's not, it's not going to help you.Lesley Logan 15:26  No and real quick, I'll just say one of the things that I have been doing from this talk, because everyone talks about Epsom salt baths, and like, because, like, you know, I'm perimenopausal and like, inflammation, all these things and like, my joints were bothering me, and everyone's like, Epsom salt bath. Are you kidding me? My bath is set up as a cold plunge. I can't have a cold plunge Epsom salt bath. So I was just like, and I'm not a bath person. Like, the cold plunge is easy, because I can drop in, I wake right up, right? But like, a bath, it's kind of like that, like you just said, it takes more time than I want to give it. And so, like, the like, it just doesn't feel like doable, right? Who's going to take a five minute hot bath? First of all, it takes 15 minutes to load the tub up, right? And I'm in Vegas, and they check our water. So at any rate, she said, you don't even need to do an Epson salt bath. She said, get some oil, avocado, or, like, I think human sesame, but, like, single source oil, put it on your body in the shower. So I get a hot shower on me. I put the oil on, and then I just take a bag of Epsom salt bath. I put my wet hand in it. It's covered in Epsom salt, and I just scrub. And she was very clear on the episode. We're not. Clare Solly 16:26  I was gonna ask you about that. So as you said you were doing it. Lesley Logan 16:28  I do it. I don't do it every single night, just because it is a drier climate here, but I do it like at least every other night. But if I'm having, if I had a more stressful day, I'll just do it anyways, even if I did the night before. So arms, legs, and I, first of all, I don't even need to put lotion on afterwards. Your skin is so soft. It's like, we went to the Korean spa and, like, they took off the skin so so soft. And I sleep like a baby. You get all the benefits of the Epsom salt bath without having to take the bath. And then it all just washes down the drain. So real quick, we have a bag of Epsom salt on subscription. So it comes, it's a wonderfully sourced Epsom salt, and then we took those, like, restaurant like, like, mustard squeeze bottle, and we just poured a bunch of oil in it. It's in the shower, and it's just, like, easy, easy. And you walk out so clean, and I have a bath to clean afterwards.Clare Solly 17:15  And what I really loved was her skeptical on a lot of these, like, I loved that you were, like, asking about all these tools. And she was like, well, and she, like, she had opinions on all of them. You like, you could hear it. But she was also like, yeah. And I, like, I loved that she, like, gave you different things to do, like, you asked her about face yoga, and should you do it? And she was like, No, do the lymph node things. And like, automatically I was starting to do that. And like, and, you know, press things. And it felt so much better. Like, and I like that she also, like, gave you things like, you know, was the was the lady who did the thing on the one side of her face, like, didn't actually work. She's like, well, it could be that because, because she sleeps on that side, and because she, like, she dries and gets sun on that side, things you don't think about. Lesley Logan 17:57  I know she's like, she had a healthy skepticism that made me go, oh, okay, she's like, I'm watching it, and I know that there's like, fake stuff out there. But also, like, I don't know, like, my girlfriend does this, like, brushing to her face, and it her face looks so good so, you know, like, but it's that lymphatic drainage stuff, I don't know, like, so. Clare Solly 18:16  Oh and lymphatic drainage is something like, I'm convinced that's actually why I have this little bit of a head cold right now because I had like, a massage with, like, massive lymphatic (inaudible).Lesley Logan 18:23  If Rachel is listening to this, she's gonna send us a link of, like, what you should be doing. Clare Solly 18:26  Oh, please, please Rachel, please send it. Please, please, like I would listen to you and like I'm following you and I'm doing all the things. But I loved that, like that just working out, like things that you do and adding to your normal routine. I think you mentioned, like, can I do the massage while I'm putting on my facial lotion? And she was like, yes, absolutely.Lesley Logan 18:45  Is that great? Because you're already doing it. You're already doing your skincare. And you can, just like, make sure your hands are nice and moisturized, and you can do the things. I'm like, if you're watching this, I'm like, doing the things. And, like, it really does make a massive difference.Clare Solly 18:57  Yeah, it does. It does well and make sure your hands are clean and moisturized, not and just like, you've had French fries and you're like, oh, there's some (inaudible).Lesley Logan 19:05  Like, let's not, let's not make it, let's not it's like they no good deed goes unpunished. Like, don't fuck up. We don't, like, clean your hands. I think people need to wash their hands more. But anyways, I couldn't agree more. And I just thought, like, I just keep going back to, like, self-care is, like, such a self act of love. And like, I mean, we always think, oh, I should go get a facial. Oh, I should go get a massage. And think you could be doing like, little massages to yourself. Clare Solly 19:28  Yeah, yeah. I mean, again, not after French fries, but like at the stoplight, while you're driving in your car. You could do something like quick, like knuckle Gua Sha on yourself, press those lymph nodes in your in your clavicle, and release things. Lesley Logan 19:39  Oh, yeah. I love this one girl online, she like, shows you, like, okay, clear your things. And I'm like, whenever I see her, I'm like, let's just clear them. Like, what are we doing here? And I feel like mine are so tight, no wonder, like, my eyes are always so puffy.Clare Solly 19:48  Oh yeah, yeah. So so many good tips that she had. And I love that you were like, I felt like you were asking the hard questions. And then one thing that I'm fascinated with is the energy in your fingertips. Like, I want to read more about that. I'm like, my fingers are magic. Lesley Logan 20:03  I know the visualization of me is like, oh, does that mean like, I have, like, little like, I want that. What a super power. Like, then you can just, like, someone who annoys you just walk by and, like, shock them. Clare Solly 20:22  So good, so good. Lesley Logan 20:23  Yeah. But, you know, I really so one of the things, like, she's so educated, and obviously the way you can do Botox and things like that, like, she's not any anti any of that stuff, but I really appreciate her honesty. Like, you could also try these things first, if you're, like, not interested in the injectables and but then also, don't just go buy anything that says it's, like, better than Botox. Like, yeah, you know, it's just, I just appreciate like, she's like, you can spend good money in good places, and you could waste it, or you could use your own hands. Clare Solly 20:48  Yeah, well, and, like, I mean, you and I talked about Gua Sha, I think, like, a year ago, and you were like, you have to do this. And I started doing it, and I was good for like, two months, and then I'm like, oh, and I travel, and I forget to take my Gua Sha or, Oh, I'm, you know, you know, off doing whatever and forget to Gua Sha, but my fingers are always attached, and I can't use that as an excuse. Lesley Logan 21:08  I agree, and like, I still like my Gua Sha, but also, it's not always where I am, you know, like it's or it's I found, like I almost want a Gua Sha in the shower, because I'm in the shower already, you know, like I'm already there, but then, like, I have dropped a Gua Sha, don't do that. Then it cracks, and you don't want to scratch your face, so, like, it's so I kind of like that, if I forgot my Gua Sha, if I can't travel with it, if I'm asleep, I could still do it, you know, like, because I think a lot of us look for an excuse of why we can't do something. You have, you know, you have your hands. If you have hands, and if you don't have hands, then teach someone to Gua Sha you.Clare Solly 21:43  Oh, and you said the thing, sorry, I'm circling back to the thing that you said about the like the cold well, she said something about the cold plunge, like you should rinse off at the end of you can stand it. And I am a person that likes the water so hot that it burns my skin when I'm in the shower. Lesley Logan 21:55  I agree with you, because I think that's effective. Clare Solly 21:57  I love a hot, hot shower. I love a hot shower. And I know she was saying she, you know, prefers a shower in the morning. I'm a night person because I like to, like, calm down and cool down and, like, it makes me sleep better. But here's a tip for somebody like me that is, like, afraid of the cold water. I turned down my hot just a little bit so I have, like, room temperature water, and I'll do that for a couple of showers, and then slowly, like, turn down the heat a little bit more, a little bit more. Lesley Logan 22:22  Yeah, I so there's a lot of studies on, like, women's temperature for cold plunge. And so I, you know, like, our cold plunge is set 50. I mean, like, I'm sure men will say that Brad should have it colder, like, he doesn't like cold, like, it's not good for his constitution. So 50, 50, is fucking cold. I'll just say that. And I we use it in the morning as a such a great way to, like, wake up. Like it is, like, better than coffee, like it's you do. You can, like, be hung over and get in that fucking thing, and you are not hung over anymore. You're like, okay, it's not going over my head, it's not going my face, but, like, I get up to my neck and shoulders. I do it for a few minutes. It's enough. I like the routine of it. I like the way I'm starting the day. Like, hello. Like, let's go. But we used to do cold showers. And I will just say, those suck. Those are so miserable. But obviously, like, not everyone can have a cold plunge. So I think that you have to figure out what works for you. And I will say, like, the act of doing something that's uncomfortable does allow me to be in more discomfort on most days, not on my worst days, but like on my best days. Discomfort happens things. And I because, like, kind of trained my mind, like I can handle this only a few minutes, like, not a big deal. It does translate. So I think even if you're not doing it for like, the aesthetics of it or the biohacking of it, like, there's reasons to do it. But I also, like to me, the shower needs to burn my skin. I want to be a red I want to be a lobster. I tell Brad, I'm like, it's killing the germs. He's like, That's not it. I'm like, it's gotta be doing something there's never too hot of a hot shower for me. I am, like, just so.Clare Solly 23:52  I'm a lizard. I just want the hot. Lesley Logan 23:54  Yeah, what he used to do is, like, get in the shower at like, the middle, and then, you know, get himself wet at that, like, more like, room temperature water, and then, like, dip it down to a cold that he could tolerate, and then he would do it. That is too long of a commitment, but, hey, you know, but that that's how we're different. Clare Solly 24:13  That's how we're different, yeah, and it's good to talk about these things and things that, like, work for you and don't work for you, and try things.Lesley Logan 24:18  I think it's so funny because the internet's like, you must do this. It's the best thing for, like, the belly fat or the cortisol or the menopause or whatever. If you don't like it, don't do it. Like, oh my god, you know, like, there's so many tools out there, and they might have worked for someone. They don't have to work for you. And then also, like, Whatever happened to like, if it doesn't work for you, it's okay for it to work for someone else. Don't you? I just feel like, you know, we don't have to be the same.Clare Solly 24:43  Yeah, well, and your body changes too. Like Rachel was saying, like, some of the things that you'll do, and that she suggests, your body will actually change while you're doing it. And so maybe the thing that you're you start doing today isn't going to work for you in a year. And so, you know, just, you know. Find a new thing. Lesley Logan 25:00  I know I had to change my skincare line after 40 I found a really great one that I love, but, like, the stuff I was doing before, just like, stopped being great. That's okay. It's not there's nothing wrong with the line. It just wasn't right for me. And like, oh my god, you know. So if you love your Gua Sha, keep doing it. But if you if you hate your cold plunge, don't. Find something else that like challenges your body a different way? Clare Solly 25:22  Yeah, absolutely. Let's talk about the Be It Action Items. What bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items can we take away from your convo? I know I took away two crucial foundational elements for overall health and skin, drink 1.2 to 2.5 liters of water daily. One of my hacks for this, I actually, when I'm setting up my coffee at night, I put a cup of water by the coffee machine so I don't even have to fill it up. It's ready when I wake up, and I like, I'm just like, I dummy proof it like I drink my cup of water while I'm waiting for the coffee to brew. And then I'm gonna start doing this. I'm gonna put a pinch of salt in it. I actually put magnesium drops in mine, because I drink them all day long, because, like, your bottled waters, like Perrier and those mineral waters that are European have magnesium in them. So I get my magnesium that way too, although they say magnesium is best absorbed through the skin. So I could just be doing it for fun. Lesley Logan 26:19  That's why the Epsom salt thing is so good. Clare Solly 26:21  Yeah, I'm gonna try that. Lesley Logan 26:22  I'm telling you tonight, since you have one more night here, yes, put it in your bathroom. You're doing it. We're gonna do all the magnesium, and then make sure that water is filtered, whether you're putting it on your body or in your body.Lesley Logan 26:33  Yeah, guys, find a shower filter. Oh, my god. Like, even if you're renting, like, you gotta do it, yeah? Because, like, there's so much crap in that water, or they've taken everything out of it, so there's nothing good in it, like you got, if you can't change the filtered water in your house, we could, but because we, but, like, that's, it's an investment we're not making right now. So we have a shower head filter, and we've had it for a year. Whole my hair is different, my skin is different, everything's different. Clare Solly 26:59  Yeah, I just got one. I rent my apartment, and I just bought one. Pro tip, though, make sure you can actually find filters for your shower head and for if you I have one on my sink, too, make sure you find filters that like they're out there and they're not hard to find, and they're not expensive, or the way you can afford them.Lesley Logan 27:14  Ours is like, ours was a gift because we asked for it at Christmas, and I actually do wonder if, like it even as a filtered change, or if we just buy it a whole new thing, if we can find a filter for it, I'm gonna move it to the guest bathroom, because, yeah, I got you guys to listen to the HigherDOSE. I was like, oh, we're due for a new filter. And then HigherDOSE is like, hey, we have a red light filtered water head.Clare Solly 27:35  Ooh, okay, maybe I need to try that one while I'm here too. Lesley Logan 27:39  Okay, I'm we're recording it, and it's supposed to ship tomorrow. So I don't have it, I can tell you right now, like, the number of red lights that I live under. Like, I can't even wait to shower, light off. Red in the bathroom, red light on.Clare Solly 27:51  Amazing, amazing, amazing.Lesley Logan 27:55  Rachel's probably like, girl, I don't know. I fell for all of it. I'm in.Clare Solly 28:00  You know what? Sometimes, sometimes things that we think make us beautiful actually do make us beautiful because we like them. Lesley Logan 28:06  Yeah, beitpod.com/higherdose okay, use that link. It's our affiliate, so that helps you support this podcast. And then Balanced Dose, Balanced with so, like, like, two Ds in the middle, we'll get you 20% on anything you want there. But I'm, like, big on the show. I'm so excited about it.Clare Solly 28:22  Amazing. So Lesley, what were your biggest takeaways?Lesley Logan 28:25  Okay, so she said, we just have to, like, hear this, look at your beautification routine as self-love, because you're worth it. You are worth it, right? And so we've said it already, but I think, I think some of the best, Be It Action Items are the ones we repeat. Because, like, I just think so many people see it as, like, something they have to buy into. And it's like, it is part of it. We did this with the fascia blaster lady. She's like, massaging your body is like time spent with your body. It's an act of self-love and like, so that you guys, we don't realize when things change in our body, because we're just so used to kind of like living with it. We're kind of like a frog like, although I have heard that the frog in boiling water is, is a myth but everyone says it, so it makes sense, so we'll use it, but it is a totally, apparently, a myth. So we don't realize, like, that ache we had yesterday, and we're like, oh, it's still there. And then we kind of, like, we kind of start to live with it. So I just really believe, the more time you spend with yourself, like you will recognize when things are changing and some of those things are changing, or your moles, like, I have pre skin cancer, and I didn't know you could be I thought we were all pre, weren't you? Apparently there's another level. It's an in between. But it's because I was like, hey, this mole is acting differently. Can you check it out? You know? And so, like, if you're not spending time with yourself and your body, you don't notice these changes that are happening, so. Clare Solly 29:38  Yeah, and it's really worth it. I mean, you taught me years ago to put on my calendar the things that were worth it for me to do for myself. So like, even if you have to block off your like, mentally block off your calendar for 15 more minutes to, like, go take that extra time in the shower, to do your Gua Sha, to do your Epsom salt. Like, do it like, you are worth the extra five minutes, 15 minutes out. You're worth it.Lesley Logan 30:00  You really are. I mean, I think, I think a lot of us are spending way too much time on things that actually don't care for us, make us feel good. And so I just think that, like, notice if you actually made the time for your skincare, notice what you don't have time for. And I promise you, you're letting go of the things you didn't need to be doing. Clare Solly 30:16  I'm sure we could all stop scrolling for 15 minutes. Lesley Logan 30:18  Well, here's the thing. Like, if I was to say, hey, you know, like, Clare, you're like, Oh, I'm flying down. Oh, you're flying tomorrow, right? Yeah. Oh, my God, Clare, I just want a shopping spree. You know, at our favorite store that you're, you know, it's at two o'clock, you move your fucking flight. I would move it. You would move it. You would just do that. Like, so we make time for things we want to do. And if you say you really want to take care of yourself, you will make time for it. If you just so she also reminded us, we have one body, so we have to care for it. We have to make good decisions for it. And like, I was telling you the other day, I don't always feel motivated to work out, but I I want to when I'm 80, I'm gonna be glad I did. So that's why I do it. Like, that's literally, like, the days I want to do I'm like, I have this one body, and when I'm 80, I'm gonna be glad I did it. So she also wanted to remind you she has a free 30 minute biohacking video. It's for the skin video. So I think you should go do that. Why not? You can find it at theschoolofradiance.com so I would go do that. Clare Solly 31:11  I'm gonna go click on it after this, I'm gonna go watch it. Lesley Logan 31:14  Also, her skin is fucking stunning. I thought I had good skin. She is great, great skin. Clare Solly 31:20  I also wanted to train me how to do that like, three way braid like that was awesome.Lesley Logan 31:23  I I know that's my next thing is to learn how to braid my hair. But at any rate, maybe that's funny. If you have someone who teaches people how to braid hair as that you follow or you love, like that, I need that person on the pod. I want them to teach me on the pod like that is, oh yeah, like, that's why i It's the year of learning how to deal with my hair so.Clare Solly 31:42  Because you tried them, then I could come try your red lights. Lesley Logan 31:45  I'm at the point where I would chop it off, but it does look beautiful when it's done. So you know, I feel really good about my mascara. Feel really good about my brows. I feel really good about the skincare. I just need someone to fucking do my hair. So she's brilliant. So go check that out, schoolofradiance.com you guys, I'm Lesley Logan. Clare Solly 32:00  And I'm Clare Solly. Lesley Logan 32:01  And tell us what you what of these things you're trying, what? Try one at a time if you hate it, right? Move on. The next thing we want to know, and also Rachel's gonna want to know, so make sure you let her know and send us a friend who is buying all the things off of Instagram that they think will work, so that they can, you know, maybe hear some tricks that are better and that you'll have a fun more conversation, I think, than one on. Hey, did you try this 17th thing that you have to buy and then it doesn't work? Send it to anybody who needs to hear it and until next time, Be It Till You See It. Clare Solly 32:30  Bye. Lesley Logan 32:32  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 33:14  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 33:19  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 33:23  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 33:30  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 33:34  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Transcribed by https://otter.aiSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Zach hosts for the first time! He, Kara, and Kate discuss what comic they would take to a desert island and if it can double as a weapon.  Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Start/Last Week in Comics 00:01:23 - Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn/Red Rackham's Treasure 00:13:38 - Bone Omnibus 00:21:05 - East of West End Times Compendium 00:28:06 - Descender Omnibus 00:33:59 - Discord Island Picks 00:35:51 - New 52 Wonder Woman 00:42:15 - Any Archie Collection 00:47:45 - Wrap Producer: Kait Lamphere & Danny MartinezProoflistener: Brian MurrayEditor: Zander Riggs Music provided by Infinity Shred. Find them on Bandcamp.IRCB Avatars by @ICELEVELIRCB Logo by Kyle RoseSupport us on Patreon to get access to our Patreon-only series: IRCB Movie Club, Saga of Saga, Giant Days of Our Lives, A Better Batmobile, and more! patreon.com/ircbpodcastBuy a copy of our anniversary zine Totally Not A Cult: https://ircbpodcast.com/shop/p/totally-not-a-cult-zine-1Email: ircbpodcast@gmail.comTwitter: @ircbpodcastInstagram: @ircbpodcastDiscord: discordapp.com/invite/E8JUB9sReddit: ireadcomicbooks.reddit.comIRCB GoodreadsMerch: ircbpodcast.com/shop

Episode 809 DC KO Episode 12 : DC KO Boss Battle 1, DC KO Knightfight 2, DC KO 4 Sean and Jim continue DC KO for the second phase as we begin a catch up and eventual wrap up to this game changing event. This episode we look at DC KO Boss Battle 1, DC KO Knightfight 2, DC KO 4 The Road to 20 years of Raging Bullets in March continues! Sean is a cohost on "Is it Jaws?" Check it out here : https://twotruefreaks.com/podcast/qt-series/is-it-jaws-movie-reviews/ Coming Up : DC KO Upcoming: Longest Halloween, Legends, Wonder Woman, JSA, Justice League, DC/Marvel Crossover, Absolute DC, and much more. Show Notes: 0:00 Show Topics: DC KO Boss Battle 1, DC KO Knightfight 2, DC KO 4 3:30 DC KO Part 12 1:32:30 Closing Show Topic Request Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5l4gZgdGrNpLXAN4NdcAI0WF7fM7yhjHJ3upZ3azEc31zuw/viewform?usp=sharing Contact Info (Social Media and Gaming) Updated 9/23: https://ragingbullets.com/about/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/401332833597062/ Sponsors: http://www.DCBService.com, http://www.Instocktrades.com Favorite Organizations : http://www.heroinitiative.org, http://cbldf.org/ We'll be back in a week with more content.  Check our website, Twitter and our Facebook group for regular updates.

In this installment, James Enstall (Geek To Me Radio) and Susan Eisenberg (a.k.a. Wonder Woman) are joined by returning guest, writer Stan Berkowitz, alongside new guest, writer Robert Goodman, to discuss their episode "The Cat & The Canary", which first aired on February 5th, 2005.Stan Berkowitz - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0075487/Follow Bob Goodman - https://www.instagram.com/b0bg00dman/Follow Susan Eisenberg -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://susaneisenbergvoice.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow James Enstall -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠http://geektomeradio.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What happens when the greatest heroes from Marvel and DC collide in a March Madness–style tournament?In this special episode of Wizards: The Podcast Guide to Comics, Michael and Adam create the ultimate comic book debate bracket.68 legendary heroes enter — from Spider-Man and Wolverine to Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman — but only ONE can become the greatest superhero of all time.Who wins in battles like:Spider-Man vs SupermanCaptain America vs BatmanHulk vs AquamanDeadpool vs ShazamThis tournament is sure to spark Wizard magazine style debates, hot takes, and nostalgic comic book arguments.Fill out your own bracket fro our Instagram @wizards_comics and play along! Thanks to our monthly supporters Strange Hombre Richard Cocchi Shawn Robare Andrew Burt Brandon Whitmore Michael Johnson Eric Najjar Brock626 Tom Goodwin Matt and Lissy Poisso Lennon Patton Patrick McFadden Marvin Dupree Jay M Lunchlady Doris Aaron Krieger Mark Syp Seth Johnson Dapper Dan Paladin Phillip Sevy Robb Matt Frank Anderson Russell Sheath Kevin Decent Damon Bjorn watson David Ellis acovio Alex Giannini Nate Clark William Bruce West Mark Florio David Fink Brent Cranfill MarWe Bruno Cavalcante David M Dalibor Žujović Evin Bryant Gary Hutcherson Fernando Pinto Jeremy Dawe Greg Schueller MeltFaceKillah Brian Acosta Joe Marcello DenimJedi Miitchell Hall Lee Markowitz Mark McDonald ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

It's time to look back at one of the most divisive films in the last decade, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the first live-action film to feature Batman and Superman together, as well as the first live-action cinematic portrayal of Wonder Woman. In the film, criminal mastermind Lex Luthor manipulates Batman into a preemptive battle with Superman, whom Luthor is obsessed with destroying. The film stars Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, alongside an ensemble cast including Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, and Gal Gadot. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In the mire of the Absolute Universe, one character shines as a ray of hope. This week Your Generals read ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN. Check out all General Nerdery Presents... podcasts at www.gnpresents.com Email us at generalnerderypod@gmail.com

Finally, Pedro Pascal is getting some work. We're watching The Fantastic Four: First Steps this time on Harmless Phosphorescence! Support the show and get early access and exclusive content at https://www.patreon.com/harmlessentertainment https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEDmdtUAW_pJYCJfaZV7Unw/live https://www.reddit.com/r/harmlessentertainment Buy some Merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/attention-hellmart-shoppers Check out Executive Producer Michael Beckwith's movie website at https://upallnightmovies.com/ Ranked: #67 RANKINGS 1 Endgame 2 Spider-Man No Way Home 3 Infinity War 4 Superman 2025 5 Logan 6 Deadpool & Wolverine 7 Captain America: Civil War 8 The Avengers 9 The Dark Knight 10 THE Suicide Squad 11 Thor Ragnarok 12 Guardians of the Galaxy vol 3 13 Black Panther 14 Iron Man 15 Captain America: The Winter Soldier 16 Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2 17 Guardians of the Galaxy 18 Batman Begins 19 Batman 89 20 Spider-Man 2 21 Spider-Man Homecoming 22 Spider-Man Far From Home 23 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 24 Thunderbolts* 25 Thor: Love and Thunder 26 Deadpool 2 27 Deadpool 28 The Batman 29 Captain America: The First Avenger 30 Spider-Man 31 X-Men: Days of Future Past 32 Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 33 Shang-Chi 34 Joker 35 Captain Marvel 36 Ant-Man 37 Blue Beetle 38 Black Widow 39 Ant-Man and the Wasp 40 Eternals 41 Avengers: The Age of Ultron 42 Birds Of Prey 43 Wonder Woman 1984 44 Wonder Woman 45 Iron Man 3 46 The Dark Knight Rises 47 Superman 1978 48 The Marvels 49 Dr Strange 50 Thor 51 Kick-Ass 52 X-Men First Class 53 Hellboy 54 X2 55 Darkman 56 Iron Man 2 57 Swamp Thing 58 Hellboy II: The Golden Army 59 Watchmen 60 X-Men 2000 61 Batman Returns 62 Blade 63 Defendor 64 Unbreakable 65 The Crow 66 Batman 66 67 The Fantastic Four: First Steps 68 Orgazmo 69 Superman II 70 Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania 71 Shazam! 72 Thor: The Dark World 73 The Wolverine 74 Superman Returns 75 Blade II 76 Mystery Men 77 Super 78 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 79 Venom: The Last Dance 80 Chronicle 81 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 82 Man of Steel 83 Venom: Let There Be Carnage 84 The Green Hornet 85 The Incredible Hulk 86 Sky High 87 The Mask 88 Constantine 89 The New Mutants 90 The Rocketeer 91 Superman III 92 Buffy the Vampire Slayer 93 The Return of Swamp Thing 94 The Flash 95 Shazam! Fury of the Gods 96 Superhero Movie 97 Blade Trinity 98 Batman V Superman: Dawn of justice 99 Venom 100 Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 101 Captain America: Brave New World 102 Black Adam 103 Fantastic Four: The Rise of Silver Surfer 104 Hancock 105 Fantastic Four 106 Madame Web 107 Blankman 108 Supergirl 109 The Crow 2024 110 Hellboy 2019 111 Power Rangers 112 The Meteor Man 113 Justice League 114 X-Men Last Stand 115 Van Helsing 116 Spiderman 3 117 The Amazing Spider-Man 118 TMNT2 119 Superman and the Mole Men 120 Green Lantern 121 Ghost Rider 122 TMNT3 123 Hero At Large 124 Push 125 Jumper 126 Condorman 127 Howard The Duck 128 Aquaman 129 Punisher: War Zone 130 Toxic Avenger Part II 131 TMNT: OOTS 132 TMNT14 133 Hulk 134 Bloodshot 135 Daredevil 136 The Crow: City of Angels 137 The Punisher 04 138 The Punisher 89 139 Batman Forever 140 Kick Ass 2 141 Steel 142 Glass 143 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 144 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 145 X-Men: Apocalypse 146 Split 147 Suicide Squad 148 Brightburn 149 X-Men Origins: Wolverine 150 The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 151 Sgt Kabukiman NYPD 152 The Phantom 153 Toxic Avenger 154 The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 155 The Shadow 156 The Toxic Avenger Part III 157 Spawn 158 Batman and Robin 159 Elektra 160 Morbius 161 My Super Ex-Girlfriend 162 Zoom 163 Underdog 164 Catwoman 165 The Spirit 166 Jonah Hex 167 Fant4stic 168 Max Steel 169 Superman IV: The Quest For Peace 170 Dark Phoenix 171 Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV 172 Fast Color 173 Joker Folie a deux 174 Kraven The Hunter 175 Archenemy 176 Son of the Mask 177 The Crow: Wicked Prayer 178 Super Capers 179 All Superheroes Must Die

Esta vez toca ir a DC Comics, pero nos pasamos de parada y nos bajamos en el Absolute Universe, la más reciente línea alternativa de la editorial. Estamos en una realidad que nace torcida, infundida por la energía maligna del mismísimo Darkseid, donde los buenos están acorralados. En este universo, Batman es pobre, Wonder Woman no tiene a las Amazonas, y Superman no fue criado por los Kent. Además, horribles megacorporaciones y oscuras agencias gubernamentales gobiernan el mundo en una camarilla siniestra, convirtiendo a los héroes en la resistencia que pelea contra el status quo. Interesantes reinterpretaciones de los héroes clásicos de DC, buenos comics, zurdismo, y MaGnUs diciendo Ultimate cada vez que quiere decir Absolute. Con música de Angra, y Russkaja. Próximo programa: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (T1).

Wonder Woman thought Steve being all hands was bad enough, but wait til she gets a load of the CRimson Centipede! PLUS, casting an imaginary 1945 Wonder Woman movie, Time Machine Mailbag, Dr. Husband learns about the Amazons' bracelets of submission, and lots of exciting discourse about West Virginia's personal property tax! It's all right here in Wonder Woman #169! Chapters (00:00:00) - Oh, My!(00:00:17) - Checkered Past: Wonder Woman #169(00:01:37) - Crimson Centipede(00:03:08) - Lawns Are Green Again(00:06:04) - Who Would Play Wonder Woman in 1945?(00:09:06) - Talking To My Cat About Wonder Woman(00:09:55) - Wonder Woman Is Blitzed By The Villains(00:10:50) - Wonder Woman vs The Crimson Centipede(00:15:44) - Crimson Centipede Gets A Motorcycle(00:17:17) - Aphrodite vs Mars in Wonder Woman(00:18:57) - The Crimson Centipede vs Wonder Woman(00:21:20) - How to Pay Personal Property Taxes in West Virginia(00:26:34) - Coughing during a pulmonary scan(00:26:54) - The IRS audit of personal property taxes(00:28:43) - Oh My God, I'm So Angry Over Fees(00:29:43) - Wonderman vs the Crimson Centipede(00:32:34) - How Much Does Wonder Woman Hurt Me?(00:35:18) - Wonder Woman in The Dark Knight(00:36:12) - Wonder Woman vs The Crimson Centipede(00:40:15) - The Bracelets of Submission(00:45:41) - Mailbag(00:48:38) - Dr. Husband(00:51:49) - Wonder Woman is asked to make a choice between Steve Trevor and General Darnell(00:53:41) - Wonder Woman on a Date(00:57:01) - Wonder Woman vs The Gangsters(01:00:18) - The Lion vs Wonder Woman(01:02:07) - Wonder Woman vs General Darnell

March 3rd 2026 - All of the highlights from Tuesday's show in one complete podcast including a Blood Moon, Tony's battle with medication, the Daily Dish, Ryan's 2 pizza for 1 philosophy, Dad Joke of the day, Jackie's Wonder Woman skills and more!

This week, we dive headfirst into Absolute Wonder Woman — a reimagining of Diana raised in hell by Circe — and we can't stop talking about how good this book is. We break down why this version finally captures the heart of Wonder Woman, why compassion is her real superpower, and why this heavy-metal redesign absolutely works. Along the way, we detour through Conan, grindhouse cinema, crocodile cult horror, and Peter's descent into AI-powered app building. It's a wild one — but mostly, we're here to say: go read this comic.Show NotesOpening Catch-Up

Gray's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2NfSPGZ5OFcek6Baw3iQQw Join us on Friday Nights @ 7:15 PM EST on our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@WeirdScienceComics when we do the Absolute show LIVE! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WeirdScienceComics This Week's Patreon-Exclusive Spotlight Show is Absolute Martian Manhunter #9 Listen to the Spotlight Podcast by signing up to our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/weirdscience   FOLLOW WEIRD SCIENCE COMICS Twitter:  https://twitter.com/WeirdScienceDC  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/weirdscience DC Comics Review Site: https://bit.ly/WeirdScienceDC Marvel Review Site: https://bit.ly/WeirdScienceMarvel   SUBSCRIBE TO WEIRD SCIENCE COMIC PODCASTS:  DC Comics Podcast iTunes - https://apple.co/47jNeme Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2XzDALI Stitcher - https://bit.ly/45XPtKS

Episode 808 DC KO Episode 11 : The Flash 29, Justice League Unlimited 15, DC KO The Kids are All Fight Special Sean and Jim continue DC KO for the second phase as we begin a catch up and eventual wrap up to this game changing event. This episode we look at Titans 31, The Flash 29, Justice League Unlimited 15, DC KO The Kids are All Fight Special Speeding Bullets shout out to End of Life 1, music and comics, and a jazz band The Road to 20 years of Raging Bullets in March continues! Sean is a cohost on "Is it Jaws?" Check it out here : https://twotruefreaks.com/podcast/qt-series/is-it-jaws-movie-reviews/ Coming Up : DC KO Upcoming: Longest Halloween, Legends, Wonder Woman, JSA, Justice League, DC/Marvel Crossover, Absolute DC, and much more. Show Notes: 0:00 Show Topics: The Flash 29, Justice League Unlimited 15, DC KO The Kids are All Fight Special 3:12 DC KO Part 11 1:26:03 Closing Show Topic Request Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5l4gZgdGrNpLXAN4NdcAI0WF7fM7yhjHJ3upZ3azEc31zuw/viewform?usp=sharing Contact Info (Social Media and Gaming) Updated 9/23: https://ragingbullets.com/about/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/401332833597062/ Sponsors: http://www.DCBService.com, http://www.Instocktrades.com Favorite Organizations : http://www.heroinitiative.org, http://cbldf.org/ We'll be back in a week with more content.  Check our website, Twitter and our Facebook group for regular updates.

Steve Orlando is one of the busiest writers in comics right now, and this week on the AIPT Comics Podcast, we're running our full, uncut conversation with him. Earlier this week, we published a written feature focused on his Scarlet Witch run, but this episode expands far beyond that, covering everything from Deadweight with Bobby Lee to Valiant Beyond: X-O Manowar, DC x AEW, his chance to judge on Dragula Titans season 2, Tarzan Beyond, X-Men Infinity, and even a teased return to Midnighter! If you wanted the complete Orlando download, this is it.   Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon! NEWS ‘Sonic vs. Godzilla' is finally happening, and it's bigger than you think See new Origin Box characters Hostilicus and Wonder Man from 'Reborn: Ultimate Impact' Marvel's WHAT IF? returns with wild twists for its 50th anniversary Marvel brings 'Magic: The Gathering Spider-Man' art to new variant covers 'JLA/Avengers' is coming back to comic shops this summer 2026 Oni Press unveils bold fall 2026 graphic novel lineup Our Top Books of the Week: Dave: Infernal Hulk #4 (Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Nic Klein) The Mighty Thor #7 (Al Ewing, Pasqel Ferry) Alex:​​ Power Fantasy #16 (Gillen, Wijnegaard) Absolute Wonder Woman #17 (Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman) Standout KAPOW moment of the week: Alex: Sorcerer Supreme #3 (Bernard Chang, Ruth Redmond) Dave: Hulk Smash Everything #3 (Ryan North, Vincenzo Carratu) TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK Alex: Moonstar #1 (Ashley Allen, Edoardo Audino) & Narco #1 (Doug Wagner, Daniel Hillyard) Dave: Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #6 (Horvath Cover) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave: The Amazing Spider-Man #23 (Taurin Clarke Cover) Or Maybe Alex: X-Men #26 (Gurihiru Marvel Monster Variant) Interview: Steve Orlando Deadweight (GUNGNIR Publishing) (with Bobby Lee & Matthew Medney) Deadweight sounds completely unhinged in the best way, blending martial arts chaos, horror, and absurdist comedy. When you're co-writing something that springs so directly from Bobby Lee's comedic voice, how do you balance honoring that raw unpredictability while still building a story with emotional stakes and structure? Valiant Beyond: X-O Manowar (out Feb 18) In Valiant Beyond: X-O Manowar, Aric joins the PunX after millennia of isolation, and suddenly honor is tied to community rather than conquest. How has it been carving out your own corner of the Valiant universe? Good Bones Good Bones gathers your horror work into a single anthology, and many of the stories explore queer identity through transformation, secrecy, and bodily autonomy. When you write horror rooted in identity, are you consciously using the genre as metaphor, or does that symbolism emerge naturally through character? Dragula (with Todd McFarlane) You co-judged Dragula alongside Todd McFarlane, which feels like a collision of comics horror and performance art. Did that experience teach you anything about spectacle and theatricality, or inspire you when you're comics work? DC AEW DC and AEW both thrive on spectacle, but they also rely heavily on character-driven drama and long-term storytelling. When writing DC x AEW #1, how did you balance the over-the-top, live-event energy with making sure the character pairings felt emotionally and thematically right, rather than just fun visual mashups? Scarlet Witch Can you talk about or tease the status of Wanda and Vision's relationship as of now? Agatha Harkness is your main antagonist in Sorcerer Supreme, what makes her fun to write? Agatha is the Vishanti's chosen sorcerer supreme, I was curious if you're drawing from any personal life experience having someone be picked over you when writing this story arc? Your run on Scarlet Witch has been released via miniseries, are there advantages (and disadvantages) to this format? Wanda Maximoff has worn a lot of labels over the years—Avenger, sorceress, reality shaper, occasional cosmic wildcard. How do you personally view her place in that ecosystem? Additional General Questions Your bibliography moves fluidly between superhero epics, indie horror, licensed work, and now chaotic comedy with Deadweight. How do you recalibrate your voice between projects without losing what makes a story feel unmistakably yours?

Welcome to Comics From The Multiverse, our DC comics podcast! Discussed this week: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:05:34 - ComiXology Top 10 0:08:27 - Episode 500 Plans! 0:14:30 - Absolute Wonder Woman #17 (Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman) 0:37:30 - Absolute Martian Manhunter #9 (Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez) 1:00:26 - Detective Comics #1106 (Tom Taylor and Mikel Janin) 1:14:47 - Superman #35 (#878 LGY) (Joshua Williamson and Eddy Barrows)  1:22:49 - Green Lantern #32 (LGY #599) (Jeremy Adams and Montos) 1:37:17 - The Flash #30 {LGY #830) (Christopher Cantwell & Mark Waid and Vasco Georgiev)  1:45:13 - The Bat-Man: Second Knight #3 (Dan Jurgens and Mike Perkins) 2:05:20 - The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery #1 (Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips) 2:21:18 - PATREON: Batman and the Outsiders #32 2:39:00 - Picks of the Week patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mildfuzztv twitter: @DCComicsPodcast discord: https://discord.gg/8fbyCehMTy Audio: https://comicsfromthemultiverse.podbean.com/ Other Links: https://linktr.ee/mildfuzz

THIS WEEK: • ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #17   • ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER #9  • SUPERMAN #35   • THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN / VENOM:   DEATH SPIRAL #1   • IRON MAN #2  • THE INFERNAL HULK #4   • THE ULTIMATES #21  Become a Patron  - https://www.patreon.com/thecomicspals?fan_landing=true Subscribe on YouTube -  youtube.com/thecomicspals?sub_confirm... Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/6RAX3sT Watch us LIVE on YouTube every: Thursday at 8 PM EST for Pals Pulls Saturday at 10:15 AM EST for The Comics Pals Podcast Pals Previews Uploaded Every Monday at 1PM EST Grab some merch here: https://streamlabs.com/thecomicspals/merch ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PodBean: https://thecomicspals.podbean.com/ X: https://twitter.com/thecomicspals  Bluesky: ‪@thecomicspals.bsky.social‬ Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecomicspals  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Pals: Sean: @SeansSoapbox Tyler: @TheTylerOlson Marco: @mrmarcoanimoto

ON THIS EPISODE: (TIME STAMPS BELOW) A review of In The Blink Of An Eye. And should Christians abstain from Fantasy entertainment? We look at a passage in 1 Timothy used to support the view that we should, and yet there is a great irony in using this passage that way, and a responsibility for us who understand it correctly! ‍ ‍ AND MUCH MORE! 00:00:30 Intro 00:02:56 In The Blink Of An Eye Review 00:19:36 CGC & Christian Geek News(The Things We Can Change by Karyne Norton, Paeter's Sister!) 00:24:31 Christians, Fantasy & Myth (1 Timothy Geek Bible Study) 00:39:12 Listener/Viewer Questions & Feedback (Could social media be controlling our thinking? What Bible Verses Can Help Positively Motivate Exercise?) ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ GEEK WEEK 00:56:40 MOVIES/TV SHOWS: Star Trek The Next Generation, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek Insurrection, ‍ ‍ 01:05:07 VIDEO GAMES: Star Trek Voyager: Across The Unknown, ‍ ‍ 01:14:24 On The Next Episode ‍ ‍ 01:16:46 Essential Issues Weekly: DC Comics Reactions (DC is "teaching" the existence of absolute, objective truth... possibly from a source you wouldn't expect! Wonder Woman 29, Superman Unlimited 9, Wonder Woman Black And Gold 2026 Special 1!) ‍ ‍ FREE STUFF BELOW! ‍ ‍ Get The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz & More Audio Entertainment From Spirit Blade Productions HERE: https://www.patreon.com/posts/44479037 or on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNC7Qz41mx8 ‍ ‍ Visit Our In-Game “No Man's Sky” Base With TONS Of Free Resources! At any Euclid Galaxy Glyph Portal, enter the glyphs corresponding to this sequence: 4,2,15,6,16,8,7,9,4,5,6,13 (Top row of glyphs is 1-8, bottom row is 9-16) ‍ ‍ Support this podcast and enjoy exclusive rewards at https://www.patreon.com/spiritbladeproductions ‍ ‍ Join Our Free Public Discord Channels! Invite HERE: https://discord.gg/5CRfFy2GG5 ‍ ‍ SUBSCRIBE TO PAETER'S SUBSTACK, @PAETERFRANDSEN: https://paeterfrandsen.substack.com/ ‍ ‍ Subscribe in a reader ‍ ‍ Open In i-tunes- itms://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-geek-central-podcast/id258963175?mt=2 i-tunes Page Link- https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-geek-central-podcast/id258963175?mt=2 Get fun, exclusive rewards for your support! Visit: https://www.patreon.com/spiritbladeproductions Or Become a Patron! ‍ ‍ All episodes are archived and available for download at www.spiritblade.com , Resources used to prepare CGC Bible Study/Devotional content include:"Expositor's Bible Commentary", Frank E. Gaebelein General Editor (Zondervan Publishing House),"The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament", by Dr. John H. Walton, Dr. Victor H. Matthews & Dr. Mark W. Chavalas (InterVarsity Press), "The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament", by Dr. Craig S. Keener (InterVarsity Press),Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Blueletterbible.org, The Christian Geek Central Statement Of Faith can be found at: http://christiangeekcentral.blogspot.com/p/about.html The Christian Geek Central Podcast is written, recorded and produced by Paeter Frandsen. Additional segments produced by their credited authors. Logo created by Matthew Silber. Copyright 2007-2026, Spirit Blade Productions. Music by Wesley Devine, Bjorn A. Lynne, Pierre Langer, Jon Adamich, audionautix.com and Sound Ideas. Spazzmatica Polka by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Freesound.org effects provided by: FreqMan

Steve Orlando – the mastermind behind DC Comics hits like Wonder Woman and Justice League of America – is bringing AEW into the DC Universe with the DC x AEW comic crossover! He breaks down the origin of this dream project, what it was like developing the story, and how AEW stars like Darby Allin, Swerve Strickland, Hangman Adam Page, Willow Nightingale, Toni Storm, Orange Cassidy, and Jon Moxley were chosen for the book. He also talks pairing Darby with Batman, and Toni Storm with Zatanna, in a dynamic that “writes itself.” Steve explains why comics and wrestling are “chocolate and peanut butter” storytelling, how moments like Mercedes Moné's shocking turn shaped the entire story, and why a Sting appearance was non-negotiable. He also shares how he got into wrestling, the comic that hooked him for life (West Coast Avengers #16), his decades-long grind to break into DC, and how the “Big Galactic Belt” drives the multiversal story. Upper Deck's AEW SP Signature Edition is here, featuring Mercedes Mone, Orange Cassidy, Kenny Omega and more! https://bit.ly/4srGApc  AEW Unrestricted video episodes available Mondays at 1pm Pacific on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ4e4Lb87XTzETPZyj7nZoJ4xPBjKdzgy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Imagine if Bruce Wayne had no money, if Superman grew up on Krypton and came to Earth with emotional scars, or if Wonder Woman had been raised in Hell. Welcome to the Absolute Universe – a dark parallel universe created by DC Comics in 2024. The idea of a parallel universe is not new to comic books, but what is surprising has been the success of the Absolute Universe. Some of the Absolute versions of superheroes have been outselling the comics that take place in DC's mainline universe. I talk with Executive Editor Chris Conroy and Group Editor Katie Kubert about how they've overseen the team of artists and writers at DC crafting this dark universe with thematic parallels to our own world. And I talk with writer Kelly Thompson about how she came up with Absolute Wonder Woman and why the comic is resonating with so many fans. This episode is sponsored by Surfshark. Go to https://surfshark.com/worlds or use the code WORLDS at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! To support the show, you can donate on Patreon where you get access to the ad-free version and our companion show Between Imaginary Worlds. You can also buy Imaginary Worlds merchandise at our online store. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We explore how Wizard and the comic book industry dealt with the events of September 11th, explore major Damage Control with Alex Ross painting a sexy Wonder Woman, discover how making fan films led Zeb Wells to get a gig writing for Marvel Comics and so much more.Get access to an UNCUT version of this episode with 30 minutes of bonus conversation, plus a PDF scan of the issue, our exclusive ToyFares:The Podcast and more when you become an official GEEK by subscribing at Patreon.com/WIZARDSCOMICS today! Thanks to our monthly supporters Andrew Burt Brandon Whitmore Bill Gudde Michael Johnson Eric Najjar Brock626 Tom Goodwin Matt and Lissy Poisso Lennon Patton Patrick McFadden Marvin Dupree Jay M Lunchlady Doris Aaron Krieger Mark Syp Seth Johnson Dapper Dan Paladin Phillip Sevy Robb Matt Frank Anderson Russell Sheath Kevin Decent Damon Bjorn watson David Ellis acovio Alex Giannini Nate Clark William Bruce West Mark Florio David Fink Brent Cranfill MarWe Bruno Cavalcante David M Dalibor Žujović Evin Bryant Gary Hutcherson Fernando Pinto Jeremy Dawe Greg Schueller MeltFaceKillah Brian Acosta Joe Marcello DenimJedi Miitchell Hall Lee Markowitz Mark McDonald ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 807 DC KO Episode 10 : Titans 31, Green Lantern Galactic Slam 1, Superman 34 Sean and Jim return to DC KO for the second phase as we begin a catch up and eventual wrap up to this game changing event. This episode we look at Titans 31, Green Lantern Galactic Slam 1, and Superman 34. Speeding Bullets shout out to End of Life 1, music and comics, and a jazz band The Road to 20 years of Raging Bullets in March continues! Sean is a cohost on "Is it Jaws?" Check it out here : https://twotruefreaks.com/podcast/qt-series/is-it-jaws-movie-reviews/ Coming Up : DC KO Upcoming: Longest Halloween, Legends, Wonder Woman, JSA, Justice League, DC/Marvel Crossover, Absolute DC, and much more. Show Notes: 0:00 Show Topics: Titans 31, Green Lantern Galactic Slam 1, Superman 34 and shout outs to End of Life 1 and music and comics 3:20 DC KO Part 10 1:16:05 Closing Show Topic Request Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5l4gZgdGrNpLXAN4NdcAI0WF7fM7yhjHJ3upZ3azEc31zuw/viewform?usp=sharing Contact Info (Social Media and Gaming) Updated 9/23: https://ragingbullets.com/about/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/401332833597062/ Sponsors: http://www.DCBService.com, http://www.Instocktrades.com Favorite Organizations : http://www.heroinitiative.org, http://cbldf.org/ We'll be back in a week with more content.  Check our website, Twitter and our Facebook group for regular updates.

In this installment, Susan Eisenberg (aka: Wonder Woman) and James Enstall (aka: Geek To Me Radio) are joined by not one, but TWO directors! Dan Riba and Joaquim Dos Santos are our guests as we discuss the two-part season 1 finale of JLU "The Once and Future Thing", which first aired on January 22, 2005Follow Dan Riba - https://danriba.com/Follow Joaquim Dos Santos - https://www.instagram.com/jds_77/Follow Susan Eisenberg -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://susaneisenbergvoice.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow James Enstall -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠http://geektomeradio.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This Week on Earth Station DCU! Drew Leiter and Cletus Jacobs say good-bye to the Earth Station DCU! While it has been a great ten year run it is time to transform into something new. In Absolute Superman #7–11, Kal-El faces off against Brainiac as the alien tries to break Superman and force him to become the Son of the Demon...Ras Al Ghul's successor and leader of the Lazarus Corps. Diana enters the deadly Black Box Maze of Area 41, forging unexpected alliances and dangerous new enemies as she races to uncover its mysteries and fight her way out alive in Absolute Wonder Woman #8 thru 12. All this plus, DC News, Shout Outs, and much, much more! ------------------------ Table of Contents 0:00:00 Show Open 0:00:48 DC News 0:14:20 Absolute Superman #7-11 0:21:40 Absolute Wonder Woman #8-12 0:28:22 Show Close   Links "Superman: Son of the Demon" Absolute Superman #7 Absolute Superman #8 Absolute Superman #9 Absolute Superman #10 Absolute Superman #11   "As My Mothers Made Me" Absolute Wonder Woman #8 Absolute Wonder Woman #9 Absolute Wonder Woman #10 Aboslute Wonder Woman #11 Absolute Wonder Woman #12   Wonder Woman #8 (Cletus's Read More Comics Pick) Earth Station DCU Website The ESO Network Earth Station DCU/BatChums Patreon If you would like to leave feedback, comment on the show, or would like us to give you a shout out, please call the ESDCU feedback line at (317) 455-8411 or feel free to email us @ earthstationdcu@gmail.com

Welcome to Comics From The Multiverse, our DC comics podcast! Discussed this week: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:05:21 - ComiXology Top 10 0:07:58 - May SOLICITS 0:45:24 - Absolute Batman #17 (Scott Snyder and Eric Canete) 1:08:05 - Superman Unlimited #10 (Dan Slott and Mike Norton) 1:19:17 - Wonder Woman #30 (LGY #830) (Stephanie Williams and Jeffrey Spokes) 1:27:31 - Nightwing #135 (LGY #322) (Dan Watters and Dexter Soy) 1:41:57 - End of Life #1 (Kyle Starks and Steve Pugh) 1:53:54 - PATREON: Green Arrow #24  2:06:06 - PATREON: Gideon Falls #11 2:17:21 - Picks of the Week patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mildfuzztv twitter: @DCComicsPodcast discord: https://discord.gg/8fbyCehMTy Audio: https://comicsfromthemultiverse.podbean.com/ Other Links: https://linktr.ee/mildfuzz

The One where Daves Teases Rich about Bodybuilders! Signal of Doom was voted #13 in the Top 100 Comic Book Podcasts on Feedspot! Please support the show on Patreon! Every dollar helps the show! https://www.patreon.com/SignalofDoom Follow us on Twitter: @signalofdoom Dredd or Dead: @OrDredd Legion Outpost: @legionoutpost

Hello and welcome to Episode 210 of the Ska Geek Podcast! Happy New Year, Valentine's Day, etc. Glad to be able to bring you some new ska for 2026. Thanks to all the bands from around the world for sending in these sweet tracks. Enjoy some awesome tunes and as usual check out my store and show your support! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/volpedesign – 01 The Scrub Up by The Scrub Ups • 02 Onwards and Upwards by Culture Shock • 03 Send in the Clowns by Stockholm Ska Syndrome • 04 Send In the Clowns by Fox & Hopton • 05 Wonder Woman by Brad Pittance and the Pirates • 06 Groove Is In The Heart by Donnoya Drake • 07 ¡AY SEÑOR! by Kultura Infame • 08 Mannish Water by The Regulators • 09 Harmonic Convergence by Mega Infinity • 10 Dub Prophecy by Dubmatix • 11 Touchdown The Way It Goes by Predator Dub Assassins. Enjoy. Skank on.

Unlimited Leaguers, this one has it all.  Dueling magicians, Wonder Woman as a pig, and Batman the crooner are all in this entertaining story! Circe has gotten out of her prison in hell and holds a big grudge against Diana's mom. She can't hurt her, but she can attack Diana. Batman & Wonder Woman are on a stakeout and try to catch Circe, but she transforms Diana into a pig. Batman contacts Zatanna, but her magic cannot counter the spell of the gods. While Batman & Zatanna search for Circe to get her to reverse the spell, Wonder Pig leads B'wana Beast and the League on a chase through town. She ends up at the slaughterhouse. She almost makes her escape, but she gets caught and is hogtied, facing certain slaugher. Batman and Zatanna find Circe out singing the sirens in Greece. They disrupt her show and the magic begins to fly on both sides. Batman calls a stop and offers a trade to reverse the spell. He sings "Am I Blue" and leaves the crowd in tears, including Circe and Zatanna. Diana is saved and knows that Bruce has feelings for her.   Contact Information: If you want to join in the discussion, you can submit feedback via email to TomorrowsLegendsPodcast@gmail.com or at at https://www.speakpipe.com/TomorrowsLegends . Please submit all feedback by 7:00 pm eastern on Friday. You can also join the Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/tomorrowslegends. Answer all the questions and agree to the group rules to be accepted. You can follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @tomorowslegends, on Instagram  and Threads @TomorrowsLegendsPodcast. We are also on Blue Sky at @TomorrowsLegends .  You can support the show on our Patreon page! https://www.patreon.com/TomorrowsLegends You will get access to bonus content like advanced releases, extra questions answered, hang-out sessions, bonus episodes, and merchandise of course!

Join Diandre, CJ, and Josh as we rank the 25 WORST Superhero Movies Of All Time in this hilarious and heated episode. We kick things off with a chaotic round of "Lyrically Correct: 80s Edition" before getting straight into the cinematic disasters that comic book fans wish they could forget.The crew holds nothing back as they roast the biggest flops in history. We break down the disappointment of the Galactus cloud in *Rise of the Silver Surfer*, the controversial CGI in *The Flash*, and the absolute betrayal of *Dragonball Evolution*. The debate gets intense over the fake Mandarin twist in *Iron Man 3*, the "Bat-nipples" in *Batman & Robin*, and the wasted potential of *X-Men Apocalypse*. From Shaq's performance in *Steel* to the confusing plot of *Glass* and the musical elements of *Joker 2*, we cover every cringeworthy moment. Tune in to see which movie earns the shameful title of the number one worst superhero film ever made.#morbiusreview #badcomicmovies #batmanandrobin #dcmoviefails #marveldcflopsCHAPTERS:00:00 - Podcast Intro & Welcome0:22 - Lyrically Correct Game Segment4:19 - Ranking Worst Superhero Movies9:58 - X-Men Apocalypse Movie Review10:47 - Iron Man 3 Critique14:28 - Spider-Man 3 Disappointment15:28 - Howard the Duck (1986)17:05 - Shaq's Steel Movie Review17:55 - Venom Let There Be Carnage19:16 - Batman and Robin (1997)21:35 - TMNT 3 Movie Review22:18 - Morbius Marvel Movie Critique23:51 - Jonah Hex DC Movie25:20 - Thor The Dark World Review28:55 - Turbo A Power Rangers Movie35:45 - Ben Affleck Daredevil Movie39:45 - Joker Folie à Deux Discussion42:20 - Fantastic Four (2015) Review45:35 - Elektra Marvel Movie Review49:00 - M. Night Shyamalan Glass53:06 - Wonder Woman 1984 Critique56:44 - Worst Superhero Movie #158:27 - Worst Superhero Movie #21:00:18 - Worst Superhero Movie #31:02:50 - Recap and Future Episodes1:04:10 - Final Thoughts and Goodbyes1:05:14 - Shili E Segment1:05:30 - Thank You to Listeners1:05:46 - Upcoming Podcast Episodes1:06:00 - Podcast Outro

On this episode of Peace Bound and Down: A Wonder Woman Podcast, Sean is joined by Dr. Christopher Maverick from VoxPopcast and Oh Gosh, Oh Golly, Oh Wow: An Excalibur Podcast, to discuss issue 16 of volume two of Wonder Woman. It's the second half of the Silver Swan two-parter that introduces the character to the post-Crisis Wonder Woman. Is she a villain, a victim, or a product of the 1980's? And, is that Superman that Wonder Woman is kissing?! This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK: Fire & Water website: http://fireandwaterpodcast.com Fire & Water Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork Fire & Water on Twitter/X: https://x.com/FWPodcasts Fire & Water on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fwpodcasts.bsky.social Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts Promos: The Detective Phase - Waiting For Doom Bringing a little peace to man's world each month.

David C. Roberson and Jason Goss break down the latest DCU news, casting updates, rumors, and clarifications from DC Studios.Bud Cort Dies at 77We begin by remembering Bud Cort, who voiced:Toyman on Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited, and Static ShockJosiah Wormwood on Batman: The Animated SeriesSupergirl UpdatesSupergirl Meets Lobo TV SpotA new TV spot for Supergirl featuring Lobo has surfaced. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TuUiYuaWCUBaby Krypto RevealedNew footage featuring Baby Krypto debuted during the Puppy Bowl and was later shared by James Gunn. https://youtu.be/VoqjnU_wGJM“We're Not Telling Woman of Tomorrow”Gunn clarified that the film is not a direct adaptation of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, but rather inspired by its tone and structure.Supergirl Test ScreeningsReports suggest:A darker tone than SupermanA human trafficking storylineMore intense violenceStrong cinematographyA major role for Jason Momoa's LoboA redesigned, more menacing Krem of the Yellow HillsSources describe the film as balancing humor, darkness, and lightness.LanternsNew Lanterns Logo RevealedThe first official logo for Lanterns has been unveiled.ClayfaceProduction UpdateGunn confirms that director James Watkins is still working on the first cut of Clayface.The film remains on track for its 2026 release, though Warner Bros. has shifted the release date to October.Man of TomorrowBrainiac Casting ConfirmedLars Eidinger has been cast as Brainiac.Gunn shared that the character draws inspiration from multiple comic eras, including classic Otto Binder stories and more modern, darker interpretations.Casting UpdatesGunn confirmed:Smaller roles are currently being castThe rumored female role is NOT Wonder WomanMaxima RumorReports suggest Maxima may appear as a secondary antagonist before potentially shifting allegiances.Cinematographer ConfirmedSam McCurdy (Game of Thrones, Shōgun) joins as cinematographer.The Batman Part IICasting RumorsScarlett Johansson rumored as Gilda DentSebastian Stan rumored for Harvey DentReports suggest an older role may be Harvey Dent's fatherWe also discuss comic lore surrounding Harvey's abusive father and its potential influence.Batman: The Brave and the BoldChristina Hodson WritingTHR reports Christina Hodson is attached as screenwriter.Gunn defended her writing publicly, noting that screenplays often differ significantly from final films.No Actionable Script ReadyGunn says there is no “actionable script” yet and that DC is taking a measured development approach.Mister MiracleTom King confirms Mister Miracle is a DCU project with major implications and confirms Darkseid has been cast.DC Tea Batman & Wonder Woman Auditions Are FalseGunn states that rumors of Batman and Wonder Woman auditions are not true.He reaffirmed both characters' importance to the DCU.Wonder Woman Casting RumorDeuxmoi claims Adria Arjona is Gunn's top choice, though this remains unconfirmed.Dynamic Duo Not DCUThe animated Dynamic Duo project is not part of DCU canon.Grant Gustin Is Not the DCU FlashAfter hair-dye speculation online, Gunn shut down rumors that Gustin is the new Barry Allen.Blue Beetle 2?Director Angel Manuel Soto says he hopes to continue the story and would love to introduce Booster Gold, possibly even through animation.Creature CommandosSeason 2 AnimatingGunn confirmed that Creature Commandos Season 2 is animating, with more projects in development.Captain Atom RumorReports suggest Nathaniel Adam (Captain Atom) may appear in Season 2.“A Lot Close to Greenlight”When asked about upcoming DCU projects, Gunn stated that several are close to greenlight — and at least one already is.Zatanna & Lobo What-Could-Have-BeensEmerald Fennell revealed her darker, more psychological Zatanna script was likely “too far away from the genre” for DC Studios.Jason Fuchs reveals his Lobo plansSuperman Blu-ray SalesSuperman was the second top-selling Blu-ray of 2025, behind Wicked.

Sean and Jim return to DC KO for the second phase as we begin a catch up and eventual wrap up to this game changing event. This episode we look at Batman Knightfight 3, DC KO 3, and Aquaman 13. Speeding Bullets shout out to Bleeding Hearts #1 and DC X AEW 1 The Road to 20 years of Raging Bullets in March continues! Sean is a cohost on "Is it Jaws?" Check it out here : https://twotruefreaks.com/podcast/qt-series/is-it-jaws-movie-reviews/ Coming Up : DC KO Upcoming: Longest Halloween, Legends, Wonder Woman, JSA, Justice League, DC/Marvel Crossover, Absolute DC, and much more. Show Notes: 0:00 Show Topics: Batman Knightfight 3, DC KO 3, Aquaman 13 and shout outs to Bleeding Hearts #1 and DC X AEW 1 3:40 DC KO Part 9 1:53:30 Closing Show Topic Request Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5l4gZgdGrNpLXAN4NdcAI0WF7fM7yhjHJ3upZ3azEc31zuw/viewform?usp=sharing Contact Info (Social Media and Gaming) Updated 9/23: https://ragingbullets.com/about/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/401332833597062/ Sponsors: http://www.DCBService.com, http://www.Instocktrades.com Favorite Organizations : http://www.heroinitiative.org, http://cbldf.org/ We'll be back in a week with more content.  Check our website, Twitter and our Facebook group for regular updates.

What are all these colors doing in my DC movie? They rebooted the universe and made a brand new Superman on Harmless Phosphorescence!   Support the show and get early access and exclusive content at  https://www.patreon.com/harmlessentertainment   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEDmdtUAW_pJYCJfaZV7Unw/live   https://www.reddit.com/r/harmlessentertainment   Buy some Merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/attention-hellmart-shoppers   Check out Executive Producer Michael Beckwith's movie website at https://upallnightmovies.com/   Ranked: #4   RANKINGS   1 Endgame 2 Spider-Man No Way Home 3 Infinity War 4 Superman 2025 5 Logan 6 Deadpool & Wolverine 7 Captain America: Civil War 8 The Avengers 9 The Dark Knight 10 THE Suicide Squad 11 Thor Ragnarok 12 Guardians of the Galaxy vol 3 13 Black Panther 14 Iron Man 15 Captain America: The Winter Soldier 16 Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2 17 Guardians of the Galaxy 18 Batman Begins 19 Batman 89 20 Spider-Man 2 21 Spider-Man Homecoming 22 Spider-Man Far From Home 23 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 24 Thunderbolts* 25 Thor: Love and Thunder 26 Deadpool 2 27 Deadpool 28 The Batman 29 Captain America: The First Avenger 30 Spider-Man 31 X-Men: Days of Future Past 32 Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 33 Shang-Chi 34 Joker 35 Captain Marvel 36 Ant-Man 37 Blue Beetle 38 Black Widow 39 Ant-Man and the Wasp 40 Eternals 41 Avengers: The Age of Ultron 42 Birds Of Prey 43 Wonder Woman 1984 44 Wonder Woman 45 Iron Man 3 46 The Dark Knight Rises 47 Superman 1978 48 The Marvels 49 Dr Strange 50 Thor 51 Kick-Ass 52 X-Men First Class 53 Hellboy 54 X2 55 Darkman 56 Iron Man 2 57 Swamp Thing 58 Hellboy II: The Golden Army 59 Watchmen 60 X-Men 2000 61 Batman Returns 62 Blade 63 Defendor 64 Unbreakable 65 The Crow 66 Batman 66 67 Orgazmo 68 Superman II 69 Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania 70 Shazam! 71 Thor: The Dark World 72 The Wolverine 73 Superman Returns 74 Blade II 75 Mystery Men 76 Super 77 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 78 Venom: The Last Dance 79 Chronicle 80 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 81 Man of Steel 82 Venom: Let There Be Carnage 83 The Green Hornet 84 The Incredible Hulk 85 Sky High 86 The Mask 87 Constantine 88 The New Mutants 89 The Rocketeer 90 Superman III 91 Buffy the Vampire Slayer 92 The Return of Swamp Thing 93 The Flash 94 Shazam! Fury of the Gods 95 Superhero Movie 96 Blade Trinity 97 Batman V Superman: Dawn of justice 98 Venom 99 Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 100 Captain America: Brave New World 101 Black Adam 102 Fantastic Four: The Rise of Silver Surfer 103 Hancock 104 Fantastic Four 105 Madame Web 106 Blankman 107 Supergirl 108 The Crow 2024 109 Hellboy 2019 110 Power Rangers 111 The Meteor Man 112 Justice League 113 X-Men Last Stand 114 Van Helsing 115 Spiderman 3 116 The Amazing Spider-Man 117 TMNT2 118 Superman and the Mole Men 119 Green Lantern 120 Ghost Rider 121 TMNT3 122 Hero At Large 123 Push 124 Jumper 125 Condorman 126 Howard The Duck 127 Aquaman 128 Punisher: War Zone 129 Toxic Avenger Part II 130 TMNT: OOTS 131 TMNT14 132 Hulk 133 Bloodshot 134 Daredevil 135 The Crow: City of Angels 136 The Punisher 04 137 The Punisher 89 138 Batman Forever 139 Kick Ass 2 140 Steel 141 Glass 142 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 143 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 144 X-Men: Apocalypse 145 Split 146 Suicide Squad 147 Brightburn 148 X-Men Origins: Wolverine 149 The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 150 Sgt Kabukiman NYPD 151 The Phantom 152 Toxic Avenger 153 The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 154 The Shadow 155 The Toxic Avenger Part III 156 Spawn 157 Batman and Robin 158 Elektra 159 Morbius 160 My Super Ex-Girlfriend 161 Zoom 162 Underdog 163 Catwoman 164 The Spirit 165 Jonah Hex 166 Fant4stic 167 Max Steel 168 Superman IV: The Quest For Peace 169 Dark Phoenix 170 Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV 171 Fast Color 172 Joker Folie a deux 173 Kraven The Hunter 174 Archenemy 175 Son of the Mask 176 The Crow: Wicked Prayer 177 Super Capers 178 All Superheroes Must Die

Jared's Athena: The Goddess of Thunder Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/-jtl/athena-the-goddess-of-thunder-second-chance?ref=project_build Gray's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2NfSPGZ5OFcek6Baw3iQQw SuS Records: https://www.youtube.com/@SusRecordsCEO Jared's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ComicsLeague Jared's Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3jv6I2edZ8lpc02gJEHw3e?si=cb5f48a6f8d84add Stork's Podcast: https://besottedgeek.podbean.com/   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WeirdScienceComics This Week's Patreon-Exclusive Spotlight Show is DC Comics Badass Patreon Spotlight: DC K.O.: Green Lantern Galactic Slam & Titans #31 Listen to the Spotlight Podcast by signing up to our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/weirdscience   0:00:00 - Intro 0:15:32 - Action Comics #1095 0:49:19 - Aquaman #14 1:11:49 - Wonder Woman is Good - The Legend of Wonder Woman Chapter 12 1:33:21 - Vertigo - Bleeding Hearts #1 2:41:31 - Batman and Robin #30 3:14:22 - Adventures of Superman: Book of El #6 3:44:39 - Supergirl #10 4:29:12 - Green Lantern Corps #13 5:08:24 - Next Weeks Books   FOLLOW WEIRD SCIENCE COMICS Twitter:  https://twitter.com/WeirdScienceDC  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/weirdscience DC Comics Review Site: https://bit.ly/WeirdScienceDC Marvel Review Site: https://bit.ly/WeirdScienceMarvel   SUBSCRIBE TO WEIRD SCIENCE COMIC PODCASTS:  DC Comics Podcast iTunes - https://apple.co/47jNeme Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2XzDALI Stitcher - https://bit.ly/45XPtKS   Marvel Comics Podcast iTunes - https://apple.co/3u1xxSh Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3QJFAfe Pandora - https://bit.ly/3Qq5cwd YT - https://bit.ly/WeirdSciencePodcasts

"Every Clark Kent can become Superman, every Diana Price can become Wonder Woman."The American mindset has produced some of the greatest entrepreneurs the world has ever seen… from Henry Ford to Oprah Winfrey. What can Africans learn from their success? Our host Claude Grunitzky talks to entrepreneurs from all over the continent.Plus: Why Ubuntu is global

On this episode of THE GEEK BUDDIES, John Rocha Michael Vogel, and Shannon McClung discuss Emerald Fennell's comments on the Happy, Sad Confused podcast about directing Wonder Woman and her unmade Zatanna script. They also talk the Spider-Noir trailer and all its freaky Marvel villains, Stellan Skarsgard turning down the Christopher Dent role in The Batman 2, new Highlander set photos with Henry Cavill and Dave Bautista, Wicked DP Alice Brooks being brought on to DP Sony's Beyond the Spider-Verse movie, Remember to Like and Share this episode on your social media and to Subscribe to The John Rocha Channel below. #marvel #gameofthrones #spiderman #starwars #Netflix #mandalorian #grogu #johnrocha #michaelvogel #shannonmcclung #thegeekbuddies ____________________________________________________________________________________ Chapters: 0:00 Intro and Rundown 1:15 Stellan Skarsgard Turns Down Christopher Dent role in The Batman 2 8:40 Spider-Noir Trailer Features Nicolas Cage, Ben Reilly, and Freaky Villains 24:29 Emerald Fennell On Directing Wonder Woman, Unmade Zatanna Script 35:21 NEW Highlander Set Photos and Videos with Cavill and Dave Bautista 40:00 New MOTU Photos Feature Ram Man, Mekanek and FISTO! 46:20 Wicked DP Alice Brooks to Now DP 'Beyond the Spider-Verse' FOLLOW THE GEEK BUDDIES: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Geek_Buddies Follow John Rocha: https://twitter.com/TheRochaSays​​​​​ Follow Michael Vogel: https://twitter.com/mktoon Follow Shannon McClung: https://twitter.com/Shannon_McClung Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hacía tiempito que no le dedicamos un episodio a un cómic, así que decidimos ponernos a leer el nuevo sello de Abosolute de DC y quedamos encantados con los primeros comics de Wonder Woman. 00:00 - Intro00:53 - Benito Bowl13:04 - Pillion24:22 - Absolute Wonder Woman45:20 - Bye!

This week on Another Pass, Sam and Case are joined by Zorikh Lequidre to revisit Shazam! Fury of the Gods. We break down the sequel's mythic swing, its tonal tightrope between family comedy and divine spectacle, and whether this lightning strike deserved a brighter fate at the box office. Another Pass Full Episode Originally aired: February 13, 2026  Music by Vin Macri and Matt Brogan Podcast Edited by Sophia Ricciardi Certain Point Of View is a podcast network brining you all sorts of nerdy goodness! From Star Wars role playing, to Disney day dreaming, to video game love, we've got the show for you! Learn more on our website: https://www.certainpov.com Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/wcHHer4 PODCAST SHOWS: ▶ Another Pass - https://www.certainpov.com/another-pass-podcast Outline Shazam Franchise and Character Legacy The discussion highlighted the complex evolution of the Shazam character and its multiple incarnations, emphasizing the challenges of maintaining clarity in the franchise (02:00). Complex Character History and Naming (02:43) The Shazam character has undergone multiple renamings, now sometimes called "The Captain" to differentiate from original versions. Comics have introduced variants like Mary Marvel and Junior (Freddie Freeman's hero name) to expand the lore. The character's fluctuating comic presence, with cancellations and restarts, impacts fan engagement and continuity. Zorak's project, Captain Marvel Culture, explores these variants in cultural and historical contexts, highlighting the character's societal relevance. Actor and Fan Perspectives on Shazam (07:30) Sam Alicea shared her positive cosplay experience as Mary Marvel, emphasizing the character's wholesome reception in fandom. Both Sam and Case Aiken noted that the first Shazam movie was colorful and fun, appealing to casual viewers with good pacing and humor. Case's personal connection to the character goes back to childhood superhero creations, reinforcing the deep fan roots. The first film balanced the youthful and superhero personas well, unlike the sequel where the older cast created dissonance. Challenges with Sequel Timing and Casting (14:00) The four-year gap between the first and second Shazam movies caused problematic aging of the cast, making the characters less believable as teenagers. The COVID-19 pandemic limited crowd scenes, affecting the movie's atmosphere and fight sequences, leading to a "COVID movie" feel with socially distanced extras. The sequel's timing made character maturity inconsistent, with Zachary Levi's older age conflicting with immature superhero behavior, reducing audience sympathy. The lack of continuity in character growth and the absence of younger kid scenes weakened the family dynamic established in the first film. Plot, Powers, and Mythological Elements The movie's story and mythological adaptations were discussed, focusing on the Daughters of Atlas and their powers, plus how mythology was reinterpreted (28:58). Invented Mythology and Powers of Atlas' Daughters (29:00) The film introduced three daughters of Atlas, a creative deviation from classical mythology that was accepted as a fun concept. Helen Mirren's character uses force fields and telekinesis, Lucy Liu's character employs "chaos" powers resembling mind control, and Rachel Zegler's character has axis-based powers, visually impressive but not well explained. The powers were often scene-dependent rather than consistent, especially Helen Mirren's varying abilities. The dome barrier served as a plot device to isolate the final fight and prevent intervention from other heroes, a trope common in superhero films. Mythology vs. Comic Lore (31:33) The movie used traditional Shazam power origins (Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, Mercury) rather than newer comic variations. Discussion considered linking the characters to the broader DC mythos, such as the New Gods, but the film stuck to simpler concepts. The film's magic and powers were occasionally connected to Dungeons & Dragons references, reflecting the script's mix of fantasy influences. The casting of iconic actors like Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu added gravitas despite the powers being plot-driven. Narrative and Visual Critiques of Powers and Effects (35:00) The dome and powers' visual effects felt forced or inconsistent, serving more as story contrivances than meaningful world-building. The chaotic power, mainly mind control, lacked thematic clarity despite being the most consistent. The movie struggled to integrate powers into the plot logically, often introducing new abilities at convenience moments. The limited impact of the dome on the city was noted, with little attention to realistic consequences of such an event. Family Dynamics and Character Development A major theme was how the sequel mishandled the Shazam family dynamic, focusing too much on superhero forms and not enough on the kids' human sides (40:00). Underused Supporting Characters and Forced Representation (40:00) Pedro's gay reveal felt forced due to minimal screen time and lack of character development. The less prominent kids, especially Eugene and Pedro, were overshadowed by their superhero forms, weakening emotional engagement. Darla remained the heart of the family, carrying much of the emotional weight and humor, consistent with the first film. The sequel relied heavily on superhero personas rather than showing genuine child characters, harming the family's relatability. Mismatch of Actor Ages and Character Portrayals (46:30) The aging cast, particularly Zachary Levi, struggled to convincingly portray teenage characters, making immature behavior less palatable. The lack of contrasting younger versions of Billy and other kids reduced the dynamic tension present in the original movie. The sequel missed chances to explore Billy's growth and his struggles with leadership and abandonment issues meaningfully. Sam noted the film's good attempt to show Billy's fear of aging out of foster care as a motivation, but this was not fully developed. Lost Opportunities for Emotional Payoff (53:00) The film failed to create a satisfying emotional journey for Billy, especially regarding his insecurities and leadership challenges. The family's support was underutilized in key moments, leaving Billy's character arc feeling incomplete. The sequel lacked the sense of belonging and acceptance that made the first film's family dynamic resonate. Case and Sam suggested that a powerful second-act scene showing Billy's vulnerability and the family's encouragement was needed to strengthen the story. Critique and Proposed Fixes for the Sequel The panel proposed several realistic improvements to the sequel's structure, pacing, and character focus to enhance its emotional and narrative impact (56:00). Strengthening the Second Act and Family Bonding (56:00) Add scenes where the kids remain in their human forms to highlight their vulnerabilities, creating richer character moments. Insert a confrontation scene where Billy expresses frustration at the family's lack of unity, followed by reassurance from siblings. Shorten or remove the cringy Wonder Woman date scene to maintain tone and pacing. Show more of the lesser-used kids at school, depicting their struggles balancing normal life and superhero identities. Improving the Final Battle with the Dragon (31:30, 56:00, 01:32:50) Make the fight more dynamic by having Billy repeatedly say "Shazam" to power up the staff, requiring him to transform back to human form intermittently. Introduce stages in the fight where the hero tries different tactics, fails, then devises a winning plan. Include moments of vulnerability where Billy dodges attacks and avoids damage, adding tension and realism. Use the environment inside the dome better, possibly including some civilians or other stakes, if COVID protocols allow. Enhancing Character Scenes and Emotional Arcs (01:40:00) Show the kids' defeat when Helen Mirren's character escapes by turning back into their child forms, emphasizing their youth and fallibility. Add a scene where Billy admits to failure and receives encouragement from his siblings, reinforcing the family theme. Develop more natural, character-driven moments such as a school scene involving Skittles, tying in humor and personality. Streamline the plot to reduce the number of major events, allowing more screen time for character interactions and growth. Long-Term Franchise Vision: TV Series Format (01:14:30, 01:49:00) The panel agreed a TV series would better suit the story, allowing the actors to age naturally and explore the characters in depth. Proposed dividing the cast so Billy, Mary, and Freddie attend college while the younger kids remain in high school, creating parallel storylines. This approach resembles a "Happy Days with superpowers" format, supporting gradual character evolution and maintaining audience engagement. The TV format would also allow passing powers to new kids as the original characters grow up, ensuring franchise longevity. Production Context and External Influences The discussion recognized COVID-19's major impact on production, release timing, and overall movie quality, affecting creative decisions and execution (14:00, 01:52:00). COVID-19 Pandemic Effects (14:00) Production delays and social distancing protocols limited extras and crowd scenes, affecting the movie's atmosphere and fight choreography. The necessity of a smaller dome and fewer characters in scenes was a direct result of COVID restrictions. The four-year gap between movies was unplanned but forced by the pandemic, causing casting and story continuity issues. These factors contributed to the movie feeling disjointed and less cohesive compared to the first film. Script and Franchise Challenges (25:00) Multiple script rewrites were needed after Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam was spun off into his own movie, forcing major plot changes. The absence of Black Adam as a villain removed a key expected antagonist, weakening the sequel's threat level and fan expectations. The movie was released amid DC's shifting cinematic universe plans, reducing the likelihood of future sequels or franchise expansion. Despite plans to connect with the Justice Society and tease Mr. Mind, these elements remained unresolved, signaling franchise uncertainty. Casting and Political Context (01:06:00) Gal Gadot's performance as Wonder Woman was noted as uneven and disconnected from the main cast's energy. The panel acknowledged Gadot's political stances have affected her reception among some fans, adding complexity to her role's acceptance. The awkwardness of Billy's romantic scene with Wonder Woman was criticized for tone and appropriateness, detracting from character coherence. Zachary Levi's personal controversies and public persona complicated audience reception of his performance, especially given the film's tonal demands.

Mike and Kyle talk about polyamory through history, including its connection to silverware and Wonder Woman, the gayta on consensual non-monogamy, polycule shapes, solo polyamory, unicorn hunting, and polycules in Star Trek. In this episode: News- 4:26 || Main Topic (Polycules)- 16:00 || Gayest & Straightest- 1:21:51 Buy our book, You're Probably Gayish, available right now at www.gayishpodcast.com/book! Each chapter dissects one gay stereotype ranging from drugs to gaydar to iced coffee. It's also available as an audiobook on Audible, Spotify, and more. If you want to join Mike and Kyle on their 2027 Mexican Riviera cruise, visit www.gayishpodcast.com/cruise to sign up. Make sure to check Gayish as the podcast you're attending for. On the Patreon bonus segment, Kyle asks Mike several Ask Reddit questions. If you want to support our show while getting ad-free episodes a day early, go to www.patreon.com/gayishpodcast.

POLAHA IS BACK! Our very first guest, Kristoffer Polaha, is back! This time, we discuss his upcoming Hallmark movie, Missing the Boat. Plus, we dive into his upcoming directorial debut, Mimics.   ABOUT KRISTOFFER POLAHA : Kristoffer Polaha is an American actor known for his charismatic performances across television and film. He first gained widespread recognition starring as Jason Matthews on North Shore, followed by memorable roles as Nathaniel “Baze” Bazile in Life Unexpected and Henry Butler in Ringer. His film work includes appearances in Devil's Knot (2013), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), and Jurassic World Dominion (2022). Since 2016, Polaha has become a familiar and beloved face on Hallmark, starring in numerous movies and the seven-film Mystery 101 series for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.  Polaha has now entered the directing space with his 2026 feature-length film, Mimics.  Watch the show on Youtube - www.deckthehallmark.com/youtubeInterested in advertising on the show? Email bran@deckthehallmark.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.