But I tried it listening to a variety of pods in the past, but alas they bored the living crap out of me. It was people talking about cameras and lenses (photography pods), brushes and canvases (painting pods), pencils and papers (drawing pods) and all they ever talked about was everything that wasn't interesting about those subjects.
I admittedly tuned out. I moved on.
But today I have a few pods that have caught my interest and a few I really wish I would not have downloaded in the first place and they are all comic book based or at least comic book related. So I am going to write a little about each of the pods I listen to (or at least checked out).
First up is:
Awesomed By Comics
So apparently I downloaded the last episode they released, which was in January 2014. And after listening to the episode I found out why they are no longer podcasting.
It started with a goofy two minute long opening that made little sense to a first time listener. Even the Super Mario-esq opening theme song was a little odd, and slightly disturbing if I may say so. The entire show reminded me a lot of The Bob and Tom Show, after the censors forced them to remove all of the good bits, but still not nearly as good as dumbed down Bob and Tom.
Sadly, it took them eleven minutes of non-comic related stuff to even mention comics. And during this eleven minutes came the weird intro in which they talk over each other, strange music, talking about their website and lack of domain name, warning listeners what the domain name (they used to have, and let it expire) contains (actually reading a web page about contact lenses to the audience). They talked about why they hadn't recorded an episode since the previous March (2013). Oh did I mention that this episode was recorded in January 2014; that's a ten month break. Reasons for not recording included a baby (or a dog, I really couldn't tell which), moving to California, each changing their jobs twice (again each), and the fact that they haven't been reading comics. And they wrapped this 11 minutes of minutiae up with complaining about an LCS they found at their new hometown.
So, my first impression was that this was a "comic book" pod done by people who hadn't been reading comics and had no problem bitching about an LCS that the visited once.
Awesome start!
Once things settled down, the show is a lot like the oscars of comics providing awards for various categories, like Cover of the Week, Panel of the Week, etc, etc (yawning quickly ensued). Sadly due to numerous factors the show was a huge flop for me.
I didn't bother downloading a second episode to see if they were having a bad day, because what's the point; they hadn't released anything in seven months.
The pluses:
- Nothing of mention
The minuses:
- Too much filling with way too much musak be it Mario-esq, Mr Rogers-esq or something else altogether.
- The pacing was way too slow with what felt like faux-bubbly feeling personalities that I haven't gotten to know.
- They don't talk much about meaningful reasons they award the comics the awards they give out.
- They publicly disparage an LCS they visited once.
Even if this pod was still active, I do not believe I would continue listening.
Next up: I Sell Comics
Regardless of your opinion in regards to the AMC show Comic Book Men, I Sell Comics, is an entertaining and educational listen.
Mike Zapcic and Ming Chen have a great dynamic and playful egos that adds to the entertainment value of the show. Yes, I Sell Comics is a part of Kevin Smith's giant podcasting network known as SModcast, but it stands alone as a great resource for current comic and convention news even if the news is a little self-serving for these two comic book men.
The pluses:
- They are fairly regular in getting their shows recorded and released for listening.
- They are mostly ad free.
- They interview some fantastic personalities in the industry.
- They give some peeks at what life is really like off-camera on the show Comic Book Men.
- Since they record in Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, right in Red Bank, they are constantly exchanging barbs with Walt and being told by Walt to watch the cursing when kids are in the store.
The minuses:
- Some episodes are almost exclusively about them. Where they have been, who they have met, where they are going next... blah, blah, blah.
- Their egos, faux or real can really make them look like dicks, like when Mike blocks someone on twitter for saying something negative about him, their pod or the T.V. show.
Next up: Giant Size
The show is geared towards new readers getting into comics. They do a great job of covering what's current in comics and getting deep aout characters, but their style is definitely clinical; it feels very scripted and sterile. Dare I say boring? Yes. I think I can say that while their information is great, I found their presentation is simply lifeless... boring.
The pluses:
- They talk in depth about comics and give their personal opinions on them
- They interview comic industry insiders
- They are very sterile, broadcast news reporter style, in their conversations
- Their interpersonal dynamics are dry
This is an informational pod, but way too dry for me to be an ongoing listener.
Next up: The Death of Comics
I listened to two episodes of this caustic pod with a consistent result; a headache.
These guys spend a lot of air time making fun of each other for the lack of sexual prowess, complain about their dating lives, and even exploiting their personal dating failures and how much they want to have sex with a certain woman they recently went out with.
And then, finally, they talk about comics, but only while they continue to reference all of the above.
Their conversations around comics could be interesting if you get around their choice of language; the constant use of the various forms of the word "fuck" and of course the use of the word "dude". "Fucking liked it." "I fucking hated it." "It was a fucking fun book." "I want my stories to fucking matter." "The end, I don't know if it is because of my hormones or what, the but the end fucked me up... hahaha... it fucked me up." They use phrases like "everyone is jizzing all over" and side-bitch. These guys are walking-talking Urban Dictionaries.
In describing the most impactful points of one the books they read and were reviewing, one of the guys said it was the fact that they had never seen a vagina and asshole put so close to their face in a comic. That was the most impactful point of the book. Wow.
Very sophomoric.
They are podcasting stereotypes of boys-are-pigs that blends the show Jackass with a whole lot of uncomfortable real world exploitation.
They refer to reviews they have received in which they are referred to as hipsters and elitist. I don't see them that way at all. While they definitely come across as elitist, they talk like a bunch of teens who just discovered cursing and mom and dad aren't around to punish them.
It wasn't an enjoyable one hour, twenty-eight minutes and thirty-two seconds. But I did the right thing and I listened to a second podcast from them, episode 152. I didn't do this because I am a masochist, but rather, wanted to see if they were having a bad recording week. This one was one hour, twenty-nine minutes and five seconds.
Why can't I get that time back?
The second episode was much of the same content as the first with different comics being reviewed; when they finally got to them. But first you have to listen to one of the guys refer to himself as the side-bitch. If you don't know what a side-bitch is here is the definition according to Urban Dictionary:
A woman that is one level above a jump off but always a step below the wife, wifey, girlfriend. A side bitch must know her part. She does not get holiday's, birthday's (other than her own). While he may meet your family. You will never meet his.
A side bitch is a woman who will have sex on Feb. 1-13 and spend Valentines day alone.
He then goes on to read and criticize text messages between him and this woman. In general these guys don't have too many good things to say about women.
The pluses:
- They do talk about comics and give their personal opinions on them
- They are loud
- They are obnoxious
- They are immature
- They come across as heavily sexist and misogynistic
- They use the various forms of the word "fuck" more than a sailor
Next up: Comics Therapy
How do I describe this show? It is very hipster, very intellectual and a ton of fun. It is all about comics but not really a comics review show, but rather an analysis. They mention frequently that comics can be cathartic and the way they approach the show they prove it truly can be. They talk about how certain comics relate to their everyday mundane lives and how comics can touch a on bigger world events.
They have frequent comic industry folks on the show for interviews and reference this segment as "On the couch this week is <insert name here>". They also have this fun break between segments called Listener Confessions. This is where they play soundbites from listeners, everyday people like you, that call in and leave a confession voicemail about the confession topic of the week. This is so much better than some cheesy music interlude. Topics for confessions have recently included; favorite space comic, first book, best LCS experience, etc.
The pluses:
- They don't review comics
- They bring a high level intelligence to the conversations around comics
- They are gracious interviewers
- They are funny, without even trying
- They have a great interpersonal dynamic
- They are relatively consistent in their releases of new episodes
- The episodes can be full of comic book spoilers, but they do warn you
Next up: Tell 'Em Steve Dave
Yup, Tell 'Em Steve Dave is on the list. Although not technically a comics based pod, it is recorded in a comic book shop, Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, it does contain two of the cast members of Comic Book Men and they do occasionally talk comics and the comic business.
I find this pod very entertaining. These three friends have such an entertaining dynamic. Being lifelong friends, they are comfortable talking just about anything and I mean anything, like Bryan's testosterone supplement needs, Brian's love of rescuing cats and Walt's disdain for the public spotlight Comic Book Men has put him in. As such, their individual personalities really shine through letting you get a better picture of who they are.
Walt, the ever politically correct, never wanting to stir controversy, blended with Bryan Johnson's don't give a fuck, say what's on his mind when it's on his mind, blended with Brian Quinn's "I just want to party and fuck"-cover to hide his truly softhearted joking nature makes for a dynamic that creates an "I don't know what the hell is going to happen next" environment. Sometimes the conversations can get fairly volatile, which is entertaining in and of itself.
Sadly, 200+ episodes have seem to taken their toll on this trio's desire to pod. Of late, more times than not, one or more of them haven't showed up to record. The volatility of the conversations that happens has caused an episode to be pulled (#194 by them) because they regretted what they said during the pod. This ever increasing instability, while leading to some great guest appearances by various characters they know, really detracts from the fact that it is these three guys that listeners tune in for.
The pluses:
- Great dynamic
- Funny as hell
- Get to know their personalities more
- Candid conversations about their lives
- Pretty flakey about episode releases lately (late or none at all)
So there you have it. A small sampling of the pods I have listened to, and my two cents on what I continue listening to and why.
Until next time... Don't believe everything you hear.
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