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.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS
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
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS
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.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS
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.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS
87: Outlander Part One – Jirel of Joiry
It’s time for Claire and Kyle to begin our next pairing: Jirel of Joiry by C.L. Moore and Outlander by Diana Gabaldon! This week we focus on the sword and sorcery heroine of pulp magazines, Jirel, one of fantasy’s first female protagonists written by a female author. In our history segment, Kyle walks us through some of the first female fantasy authors including 17th century aristocrat, Margaret Cavendish, and beloved Little Women author, Louisa May Alcott (!!). Claire’s production segment picks up from there, describing the life and career of C.L. Moore before getting into the origin and growth of pulp fiction, and Weird Tales, the magazine that launched Moore’s career. Our hosts conclude with a discussion of why they paired Jirel of Joiry with Outlander, their reaction to Jirel, and the audience for her 85 year old pulp stories today.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS
86: The Dragon Prince – A Fantasy Story for the Millennium
After a lengthy break for the holidays, Kyle and Claire ring in the New Year by talking about the Netflix original series, The Dragon Prince. Kyle begins by further exploring a topic we began in our last episode – how the morals of the day are reflected in children’s animation. He picks up after Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and takes us through Nickelodeon’s Avatar: the Last Airbender. Next, it’s Claire’s turn to break down how the show’s creators went from working in executive positions at Riot Games to getting their new animation project funded by Netflix, and how Netflix uses its subscriber data to tailor make original content for its viewers. Our hosts conclude with a full discussion of our pairing, (if they pair well at all) and how learning more about Snow White and The Dragon Prince influenced their reactions to both.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS