93: Looking Back at Avengers Infinite War
Avengers: Endgame is just around the corner, and we thought now is a good time to re-release our Avengers: Infinite War episode. Our next pairing will be around Dungeons & Dragons, but in the meantime here’s one more look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe…
In 2008 Marvel Studios released their first film, Iron Man. 10 years and 18 films later, in Avengers: Infinity War, the heroes of the MCU will face their most formidable villain yet, Thanos. This movie, which involved over 60 characters and took 19 movies to build up to, is the largest cross over event in the history of cinema. Claire delves into the definition and history of “crossovers”, discussing their roots in mythology, literature, and eventually the monster movies of the mid 20th century. Kyle takes a look at the path of the man who brought this ambitious idea of a shared cinematic universe together, Kevin Feige. The hosts wrap up with their thoughts on the film, and a reflection on their favorite MCU movies.
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92: Captain Marvel Part Two – The Power of The Carol Corps.
Well, friends, it happened. The Marvel Machine, which kicked off in 2008, has finally made a female lead superhero film with Captain Marvel. James starts off with a history of the character, Carol Danvers, and Captain Marvel’s roots as a character created for trademark reasons. He goes on to describe the highs and lows of Carol Danvers portrayals. Claire kicks off her production segment with a look at why it has taken so long for the highly successful Marvel Studios to make a film about a female superhero. She continues by asking (and answering) the question of “why Captain Marvel?” and how that ties back to comic book writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and her recent run with the character. The hosts rap up with their opinions on the film and how this episode connects with the previous Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan episode.
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91: Captain Marvel Part One – Ms. Marvel with The Fake Geek Girls!
Our new episode pairing will be Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel with Carol Danver’s Captain Marvel. And Kamala’s up first! Joining us are the critically charming Merri and Missy from the Fake Geek Girls podcast. Claire begins by discussing the involvement of women in comics as fans and creatives, and explains the factors that have both welcomed and shunned them from the industry. Kyle continues the theme by talking about Marvel’s diversity initiative in 2011. The Fake Geek Girls help us tie it into the creation of Kamala Khan and what characters like her mean for our culture. Our hosts and guests wrap up with their thoughts on the initial run of Samana Amanat, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, and Jamie Mckelvie’s Ms. Marvel.
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90: Dragon Ball Z Part Two – Becoming Like the Gods
HUAAH!!! It’s Kyle and James, and James has just completed powering up for two weeks to talk about Dragon Ball and how it truly relates back to The Journey to the West. The episode is kicked off by James hammering home some of the big comparisons to be made between The Journey to the West and the three big Dragon Ball series, including Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super. He also discusses the classic Chinese book’s influence on the anime Naruto and AMC’s Into the Badlands. Kyle then flies in and launches into the background and career of Dragon Ball‘s creator, Akira Toriyama and how he came to make the acclaimed manga that would transform into one of the most popular anime’s of our time. The hosts round out the episode with a discussion of Dragon Ball‘s present appeal, it’s missteps with female characters, and it’s popularity among African-American men.Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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89: Dragon Ball Z Part One – The Journey to the West
The time has come… for The Journey to the West! James has been waiting years for us to cover this classic tale of heroes, demons, and the search for enlightenment. He discusses Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism and how the story brilliantly manages to espouse all three. Claire talks about the evolution of the story by walking through the original historic journey taken by the monk Xuanzang in 596 and examines how it became the phenomenon it is today. Our hosts conclude with their thoughts on the Anthony C. Yu translation, why they chose to cover this book, and how well they believe it will pair up with our next topic, Dragon Ball Z.
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88: Outlander Part Two – History with Everyone
Outlander is Diana Gabaldon’s beloved fantasy and historical fiction book series and a TV show on STARZ. Claire starts out with a look at early historical fictions, what defines the genre, and how it became known as “feminine”. Kyle jumps into Diana Gabaldon’s process, how she came to write some of the most successful historical fiction novels ever, and why show runner, Ronald Moore decided to adapt the series for television. The duo wraps up the episode with their thoughts on the first book, the success of an oft maligned genre, Outlander’s connections to C.L. Moore’s Jirel of Joiry and the legacy of women writing women for women.
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