Caffeinated Comics on Radio Misfits

The internet promised every movie and show available at our fingertips forever. So why are platforms taking content away? Co-authors Wally Podrazik and Harry Castleman talk to Jon about the hard realities of running a media empire. Why did the big companies overspend on making their own programs? How niche is too niche? What are the limits of the cloud? Plus, how television plays by the rules of t...

That football game with lots of commercials happened Sunday and it came with a bunch of trailers. Jon and Elliott discuss 30 new seconds of Indiana Jones, 2 and a half minutes of Guardians of the Galaxy, some Transformers and Fast and the Furious and whatever time the Flash fever dream took. Plus, Breaking Bad Popcorners, Harrison Ford living his best life and why no one should own comic long boxe...

“Comixology is a dead man walking”. Amazon has had quite a time with its digital comics platform. An upgrade that broke the app. 75% of the staff fired. An angry customer base. Tanking sales. Todd Allen’s article in The Comics Beat gave the best look into the ongoing disaster and is here to give Jon and Elliott all the details. Why did Comixology sell to Amazon in the first place...

It’s finally here! We’re counting down to the release of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” with a super-sized look at “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. Jon, Elliott, Dave and Tom welcome Marvel and DC artist Tom Feister to discuss the impact Spielberg and Lucas’ movie had on 1981, how mistakes make a perfect film even better and the spotty history of Indian...

Marvel brings it all together for the biggest film crossover in history! Jon, Elliott, Dave, Tom and Steven Brown discuss the massive cast, how the pacing keeps the multiple plotlines from getting lost or confused and just how little they care about conventions like bringing a new audience or having an ending. [EP315]

Jon and Elliott team up for a double interview with Marvel and DC superstar Eric Nguyen and his writing partner Scott Burman. They discuss Eric’s Image-inspired influences as he broke into the business and Scott’s comedy background as they joined together to create the comedy adventure for Dark Horse! Plus, a cold call gets Scott his own book, Elliott’s dream casting of the &#822...

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is coming and that means (finally) Indy stuff hitting shelves! Jon and Elliott discuss the spotty history of Indiana Jones action figures, the rise of cosplay and prop replicas and how long companies will actually make the stuff this time. Plus, why there’s even less James Bond product out there. [EP313]

Jon drops in for a few words on the new year and a decade of doing the podcast. Plus, Jon and Elliott do a radio show on WCPT. [EP312]

James Gunn takes time out of taking over DC and making Guardians of the Galaxy 3 to drop a Disney Plus special! Jon, Elliott and Tom discuss how the special stands alone and teases the next movie, how rotoscoping animation feels more Tolkien than Santa and why the MCU Kevin Bacon may not be the real Kevin Bacon. PLus, DC exists in the MCU? [EP311]

There’s no way around it. After years in production, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson releases a half-baked movie. Jon and Elliott discussed the commitment to both super hero and action movie cliches, a weak supporting cast and the rush to HBO Max after dismal box office receipts. Plus, how Henry Cavill’s exit and James Gunn’s new DC affects the decisions in this film, and t...

Wakanda begins! Jon, Elliott, Dave and Tom discuss how Ryan Coogler found a new dimension for the Marvel universe by embracing black culture. Also, Chadwick Boseman’s brief yet meteoric rise to superstardom, Michael B. Jordan’s sympathetic yet cruel villain and whether third act cg-fests undercut the character drama. [EP309]

It’s been 14 years since we’ve seen any new Indy footage and Jon, Steven and Elliott are all over the 2 minutes Disney released. Does Kingdom of the Crystal Skull still count? Has de-aging finally crossed the uncanny valley? Why are there Nazis in 1969? Plus, a new Guardians of the Galaxy trailer that’s very hard to talk about without spoiling the Holiday Special. [EP308]

Taika Waititi turns the third Thor movie into a brand new MCU! Jon, Dave and Tom welcome Chicago White Sox broadcaster Connor McKnight to discuss the fearlessness of the New Zealand director, the Jeff Goldblumyness of Jeff Goldblum and why the script is not as light as you remember. [EP307]

Empire magazine released Indiana Jones 5 pictures in their latest issue and Jon and Elliott can not stop speculating about it. Will James Mangold make this film Harrison Ford’s “Logan”? Are there Nazis? Will Indy meet Bob Dylan? Plus, Doctor Who’s new companion, Jordan Peele’s latest horror film and why we’re not talking about “Wakanda Forever” like...

All Jon and Steven want to do is talk about “Wakanda Forever”. But losing the voice of Batman and celebrated artist Carlos Pacheco in the same week took precedence. They discuss how “Batman: the Animated Series” did everything right and set the template for four additional series over the next 15 years, how the Arkham video games extended Kevin’s take on the Dark Knig...

Disney makes Star Wars for adults while the BBC brings back your childhood. Jon and Elliott discuss David Tennant’s return to Doctor Who and whether Disney Plus picking up the series had an influence on the decision. Then, they delve into how Tony Gilroy’s slow burn on “Andor” could bring in an audience looking for a realistic franchise or if it just pisses off fans who want laser swords. [EP304]

Howie Weingarten returns to close out the Halloween season and the Halloween franchise. Howie and Jon discuss the rickety history of John Carpenter’s “Halloween” and its many contradictory sequels. Why was the 2018 version so well received and how did the following entries of Michael Myers go off the rails? Plus, Jamie Lee Curtis returns again and again, the hysteria of Donald Pl...

There’s new Star Wars, Star Trek and Marvel content every week. So why are we so upset? Jon and Elliott discuss the rising rage of online criticism, where everything is hyperbole and no examples are given. Plus, the meta swings of She Hulk, the seriousness of Andor, the literacy of The Rings of Power and the unbridled celebration of Nightmare on Chicago Street.  [EP302]

The most popular character in the Marvel Universe gets his first movie in the MCU! Jon, Elliott and Tom welcome former Marvel writer and editor D.G. Chichester to discuss how this Spider-man is different from the previous Sony incarnations and the rest of the MCU while being true to the character, the bold choice of picking Batman to play the villain, and whether this movie has even a single flaw....

It’s October and that means lots of horror movies. Howie Weingarten returns with Jen O’Brien to discuss the most 80’s of 80’s slashers, Freddy Kreuger. They talk the genius of Wes Craven’s original “Nightmare on Elm Street”, how Robert Englund’s personality differentiated the character from Jason and Michael Myers, and how overexposure watered the ho...

From Marvel Legends to Star Wars to Indiana Jones, Hasbro saves the best announcements for themselves. Jon, Steven and Elliott discuss how much more money action figures will take from them in 2023. Does the Marvel Legends treatment for Indy live up to expectations? Who wants an Avalanche figure? Why does an $80 Serpentor figure sell out in an hour? Plus, enough with the packaging changes. [EP299]

A 4th version of a C list Marvel character for $350? What could possibly go wrong? Jon and Steven discuss the latest Marvel Legends Ghost Rider offering, if a 6 inch scale car is worth the Hot Toys price point, how it’s already lost the Robbie Reyes stretch goal and what happen to Mephisto if 12,000 people don’t want the car.  [EP298]

James Gunn returns to the corner of the MCU he created! Elliott, Jon, Dave and Tom welcome writer Saurav Mohapatra to discuss what happens when a groundbreaking director makes a film that doesn’t surprise its audience, Gunn’s recurring theme of bad fathers and how the MCU is a step towards Peacemaker. Also, Marvel can afford a Beatle, adapting Kirby to real actors and cramming a ton of...

Disney focuses most of their announcements on Disney Plus but is the golden age of streaming already over? Jon and Steven discuss how HBO Max is ending the budget arms race for platforms, whether box office sales mean more than subscription numbers, and if one service will end up buying all the others. Plus, why old announcements are new announcements and become teasers for more announcements, and...

He’s the King of Rock n’ Roll but where does the movie rank? Jon and Elliott discuss when they got into Elvis Presley, how his persona has lasted and why the biopic put Tom Hanks in a fat suit. Plus, She-Hulk twerks, Moon Knight puzzles and Spider-Man show us ten more minutes. [EP295]