Informative TV Intros

Something that came out of my guest spot on the Fire & Water Podcast (#fwpodcast) was Shag going completely overboard on posting TV Intros on their Tumblr Page. This lead to me waxing nostalgic (shocking, I know) on TV intros that actually set up the viewer to know what the premise was. You see, back before DVR's, Netflix, and Binge Watching, TV shows never knew if their viewers were around for the previous episode. The intro was a way for viewers to be brought up to speed on what the show was all about, and also give us a cool way of seeing the opening credits. Here are a few of my favorite examples of this lost art.

The Incredible Hulk


Knight Rider


Star Trek (The Animated Series)*


Quantum Leap


Battlestar Galactica


Street Hawk




* Yes, I know it's the same as the original, but I happen to love the animated version.

Conway's Corner Podcast Crossover

I was lucky enough to be asked to join the Conway's Corner Podcast Crossover (#ConwayXover), organized by Michael Bradley. This crossover has two goals. The first is to make sure that everyone knows that creators should be paid for their characters appearing in media other than comics. You can read all of Gerry's thoughts on the subject on his Tumblr site.

The second goal would be to highlight the work of Gerry Conway himself. Gerry is an amazing writer and has been working on comics a good while. While most know him as the creator of Firestorm and Killer Croc, as well as the man who wrote the story in which Gwen Stacy died, he also worked on characters such as The Mighty Thor, who is near and dear to my heart.

Here's a list of all the participants in this event:

Superman & Batman Podcast - Michael Bradley w/guest Aaron Moss  - Superman/Batman teamup from World's Finest #269, plus the Conway-written Red Tornado story from the same issue.
http://www.greatkrypton.com/2015/05/22/superman-batman-episode-32/

Fire & Water Podcast (Rob Kelly and Irredeemable Shag)
Episode 125 - Gerry Conway Interview on Creator Equity
http://fireandwaterpodcast.blogspot.com/2015/05/125-gerry-conway.html

Flowers & Fishnets (Ryan Daly) - Episode 11 covering Black Canary and Green Arrow stories from World’s Finest #245.
http://blackcanaryfan.blogspot.com/2015/05/episode-11-conways-corner-crossover.html 

SuperMates - (Chris & Cindy Franklin) - w/ Kyle Benning, Superman Family 186-187.
http://supermatescomic.blogspot.com/2015/05/super-mates-episode-31-conways-corner.html

From Kid to Flash (Mythmaking ETC) (Chris Ivey) - http://mythmakingetc.blogspot.com/2015/05/from-kid-to-flash-18-conwayxover.html 

The Hammer Podcasts! (Gene Hendricks) - Episode 12 covering Thor 224, http://twotruefreaks.com/media/podcasts/TheHammerPodcasts/mp3/THP-Episode012.mp3

Quarter Bin Podcast (Alan Middleton) - JLA #188,released Tues 5/19.  http://relativelygeekypodcast.blogspot.com/2015/05/qbp-052-justice-league-of-america-188.html

Between The Pages Blog (Karen Williams) - The Sweet Superhero Stories of Gerry Conway.
http://betweenthepagesblog.typepad.com/between-the-pages-blog/2015/05/the-sweet-superhero-stories-of-gerry-conway.html

Vault Of Startling Monster Horror Tales Of Terror (Shawn Engel) - Tomb of Dracula
http://twotruefreaks.com/media/podcasts/TheHammerPodcasts/mp3/THP-Episode012.mp3

Comic Book Time Machine (Ben Avery) - Superman/Spider-man and (maybe) the unofficial crossover in Amazing Fantasy, Justice League, and Thor, Amazing Adventure 16, JLA 103, and Thor 207
http://comicbooktimemachine.com/superman-vs-the-amazing-spider-man-conways-corner-crossover-group-cbtm049/

Task Force X (Aaron “Head” Moss) - Episode 10 - Action Comics #521. Available at http://headspeaks.com 

Head Speaks (Aaron “Head” Moss) - Episode 11 - Covering Firestorm #1-2,  Available at http://headspeaks.com Normally Head Speaks often uses language not suited for the entire family.  Younger viewers are normally discouraged.
http://brotherhead.blogspot.com/2015/05/episode-11-conway-corner-podcast.html

LanternCast (Chad Bokelman and Mark Marble) - Episode #220 - The Collaborative Conway Crossover Caper!
http://www.lanterncast.com/lanterncast-episode-220-the-collaborative-conway-crossover-caper/

Pop Culture Affidavit (Tom Panarese) -- Cinder and Ashe #1-4.
http://twotruefreaks.com/media/podcasts/popculture/mp3/80YearsofDCComicsPartSix--CrimeDrama.mp3

King-Size Comics Giant-Size Fun (Kyle Benning) - http://kingsizecomicsgiantsizefun.blogspot.com
w/ Rob Kelly, DC Special Series #1, a Dollar Comics Issue that features a Conway penned Aquaman story. http://traffic.libsyn.com/kingsizecomicsgiantsizefun/5_Star_Edit_4334.51.mp3

Hey Kids, Comics! (Andy and Micheal Leyland) - Covering AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #128.
http://twotruefreaks.com/media/podcasts/heykids/mp3/232HeyKidsVol432LukeCagesSweetBadassSound.mp3

Superman Forever Radio (Bob Fisher)

I'll try and update the links as the episodes are released.

AC Boardwalk Con!

If you're reading this on the day it posts, I'll be at AC Boardwalk Con doing some table set-up. If you're in the Atlantic City, NJ area, why not come on down this weekend and say "Hi"? Two True Freaks will be at Table 1910 in the Creator's area of the con.

Don't forget to check out our Facebook Event for any of the latest happenings!

RIP Nigel Terry

Most people would probably expect me to write something on the passing of Grace Lee Whitney, being the huge Star Trek fan that I am. I have seen many fine posts about her already, so I will leave that topic to others.

I would like to say a few words about Nigel Terry, however, who is in two of my favorite movies of all time, "Excalibur", along with Nicol Williamson, and "A Lion in Winter".

In "A Lion in Winter", Terry played Prince John. Yes, the same one that was set against Robin Hood, but also the same man who signed the Magna Carta. In this movie, though, JOhn is the youngest of King Henry II's three surviving sons, and is a self-serving coward. Terry does a great job showing the gears turning in John's mind.

His more famous role, though, is as King Arthur in Excalibur. This is the best portrayal, bar none, of the most famous king in the world, and that falls squarely in the shoulders of Terry. He has to play the character at various stages of life. We first see him when he' 18, and Sir Kay's squire. Next, he's in his late twenties, when he fights Lancelot. This continues all the way up to his old age, which I'm going to say is late 60's/early 70's, when he is mortally wounded at the end of the film. The fact that he pulls it off, and that you believe him at each stage, is incredible.

He has had many other parts over the years, including guest starring in Doctor Who, but these are the two that I will always remember him for.

Playing Games with Kids

When I posted the picture of my daughter, Kira, playing the Marvel Superheroes RPG earlier this week, it generated a lot more feedback that I thought it would, all of it positive. That got me to thinking about playing games, specifically Role-Playing Games with kids. Just to warn you, I am going to be covering a good amount of ground that Shag and I did on an episode of The Hammer Podcasts!, but I think it's worth it.

First of all, playing games, of any stripe, is a great way for families to come together. Much like our house rules against video games or cell phones/tablets being prohibited during the week, this is a way for all of us to interact. In fact, we just played Uno last night, so any kind of game will do. I highly encourage setting up a family game night for your kids.

I like the idea of Role-Playing games for several reasons, though. Mainly it's the use of imagination. As we get further down the technology road, kids are required to use their own innate imaginations less and less. Everything is just shown to them on the screen, whether from TV or video games, and there are fewer blanks for them to fill in. By playing a pen and paper RPG, however, they have to try and picture what's happening in their head, as well as think about what to do.

Which brings me to my next point, critical thinking. There are always limitations in any kind of video game, not matter how open world it actually is. That's just a fact of their programming. Either the code says you can do this or not. Games like Marvel Superheroes allow for solutions of many different types, which also means that the players much think about the choices and decide what is the best option for all concerned. Kira, at one point, chose to fire a gas capsule at the Scorpion and a Thug, knocking out the Thug without her throwing a punch. Personally, I think that was a great idea, and I told her so.

Finally, there's the issue of math. Every RPG involves some kind of math, We're not talking calculus here, just simple addition and subtraction. Considering I'm dealing with a first grader, that's perfectly appropriate and I hope it reinforces what she's being taught in school. (Of course, I'm teaching her the way I learned, with hundreds, tens, and ones columns, so maybe not.)

What this all boils down to, in my mind anyway, is that there are far fewer things more rewarding than seeing the smile on my daughter's face when she wins the encounter by roundhouse kicking the bad guy in the face. You can bet we're going to be playing again, and maybe we'll roll her up her own character this time.

UPDATE: We sat down the other day and Kira rolled up The Hedgehog, a mutant with Weather Control, Emotion Sensing, and Projectile Quills, along with Am (50) Strength!

Trailer Madness

Last week we got a couple of teaser trailers released that made people lose their minds. Of course, I'm talking about Star Wars and Batman v Superman. My general thoughts on each are below, but here's something that applies to both. These are teasers. They don't tell you anything you didn't already know about the movies already. No plot has been revealed, so saying "This will be the best/worst movie EVER!" makes no sense. Personally, I'm going to wait and see the movies before making that decision, but I've always been a little bit weird.



OK, let's talk Batman v Superman. I'm an oddity in that I didn't hate "Man of Steel", nor do I love it. It was "meh", in my opinion, but you can read more about that here. That being said, this movie feels like a natural outgrowth of that first story. Superman has been revealed, the population of Earth knows he's an alien and that his race tried to destroy the planet. So, it makes sense that we have those that support him and those that are against him.

Batman, from what I can gather, has been around awhile, but working in the shadows. Now he sees Superman as a threat and wants to take him down. All logical reactions, but I really want to see how they resolve it. I REALLY hope that we get the respect/friendship of Clark and Bruce at the end, rather than the standoffish-ness that they've gone back to way too much in the comics. We'll have to wait until next year to find out, though.



Now on to this year and Star Wars. I'm one of those people that grew up with Star Wars and can probably quote you the Original Trilogy from memory. I've also been a big fan of the now defunct Expanded Universe, so it will be interesting to see where this goes. (Aside: Thank you, Marvel Unlimited, for adding the original Marvel Star Wars to your catalog.)

One thing that intrigues me is the "Neo-Imperials" we see. New Storm Troopers, new black-on-red emblem, new Sith Lord(?). Are these acolytes of the Empire (like Neo-Nazis) trying to bring about a First Order to succeed the New Order? Is this the remnants of the Empire trying to re-exert control? Is the rebellion still going on after all these years? I don't know, and I want to see where it goes.

I am excited to see the original actors back in their iconic roles, but I don't want them to take over the movie. I'd much rather have this be about the new characters with Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie playing supporting/mentoring roles. But, then, I'd also like to see a green, humanoid rabbit walk across the screen in the background, so I'm ready for some disappointment.

Old Timey Goodness

People that know me are aware that I love old time radio programs. Programs like Jack Benny, The Shadow, Superman, Dragnet, Gunsmoke, Philip Marlowe, etc are all right in my wheelhouse. In fact, my default satellite radio station is Radio Classics, which we listen to while eating dinner every night.

Readers of this blog will know that I also love podcasts, most of which are more like talk radio than radio drama. However, my good friend, and fraternity brother, Bill Kokal, knowing my tastes, pointed me towards Decoder Ring Theatre. Unfortunately, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of episodes on their feed and put off listening for almost a year.

That was probably one of the worst decisions of my podcast listening habit, as all of their shows (yes, I said ALL) are right up my alley. From the hard boiled detective series "Black Jack Justice" to the pulp super-heroics of "The Red Panda Adventures", and even the side shows that go into science fictions or horror, everything is super high quality. The shows are so good that I'm not allowed to listen to "The Red Panda" without my wife and daughter!

If you're anything like me, and the fact that you're reading this means that you tend that way, I'd highly recommend checking out all of the DRT offerings. You can go through their website or check some out on their YouTube Channel.

Something else I would recommend would be The Red Panda Comics, of which there are currently 10. I'm reading those and the writing is still top notch (as Gregg Taylor writes these as well as the show) and the artwork fits it very well. I haven't had a chance to read the novels, but they're on my list. All of these are available on Amazon, but you might want to just go to the DRT website to check them out.