Comical Start

Mark and Grant get a bit too serious talking about work and business meetings. Things almost get a little saucy until Grant thinks better of it. Not wanting to lose the identity of the podcast, Mark casually shifts to hot dog talk. Grant brings a Frank and Ernest comic. After a long anecdote, he wants to discuss shortcuts. Mark isn’t lazy and doesn’t look for shortcuts, he’s just efficient . Also...

Flustered by technical difficulties prior to the show, your hosts revisit computer talk. Grant’s charger is breaking, and Mark verbally abuses Grant for want of disk space. However, the ship is turned around as the focus becomes food. Mark brings a Haircut Practice comic. Bread is the topic of choice. Grant has become lazy, while Mark demands variety. Grant brings a JumpStart comic. Mark misunders...

In rather unusual fashion, Mark and Grant share some technology updates. Mark has a new keyboard, and Grant is a slow, but steady, convert to window-snapping. Grant brings a Fred Basset comic. Does Mark make food at home? And what does he make? Mark prefers to ignore the question for a bit and weave a tale from his past. Then they talk about bready things and oysters. Mark brings a Peanuts comic t...

Grant made food this weekend, and Mark participated in several activities. After a movie recommendation, Grant describes his conflicted day at work. Mark had jury duty. Mark brings a Loose Parts comic to talk about modern navigation. How would your hosts survive fifteen, twenty years ago with nothing but maps and their wits to guide them? Could they travel 3 miles north? Grant brings a TOBY comic...

Mark is recently ill but still has stuff to say and things to do. Grant finally embarked on a months-old project, and Mark considers dinner options. Grant brings a Questionable Quotebook comic. He wants the advice of his dear co-host regarding goals for the new year. It is surprisingly fruitful. Mark brings a Snow Sez comic to talk about fishing. What was Grant’s experience growing up? Did your ho...

It’s a New Year! However your hosts recorded this well before it occurred, so there isn’t much to share. Grant had a rough weekend with adulting, so Mark tells him a joke. Grant doesn’t know how to vamp, but both hosts had cookies at work. Mark brings a Jake Likes Onions comic. What animal abilities would your hosts like? Grant has no idea, so a bonus comic is read. Eventually, Harry Potter trivia...

Mandatory Holiday Fun is resolved, and Grant explains the show notes. Grant brings a Cornered comic in a rather meta fashion, hoping to catch Mark off guard. A guessing game ensues, followed by a tale of medical woe. Mark brings a PC and Pixel comic so your hosts can wax nostalgic about the Prequels, and about Star Wars in general. Send feedback to comicalstart@gmail.com .

Half of your hosts are in the holiday spirit. Sweaters and cookies are discussed, as well as a short update on mandatory holiday fun. Grant needs food, and might buy a plane. Mark brings a Reality Check comic. Do your hosts use highlighters? Should they use highlighters? An exploration of their dark pasts reveals the answers. Grant brings a Garfield comic because he forgot his purpose in this epis...

Mark got a new toy, and Grant did not break anything. Mark and Grant talk chemical safety and mandatory fun. Grant brings a Fowl Language comic, and allows Mark to rant a bit about wine. Mark gives Grant and the listeners something to remember, and Grant wants something resolved. Mark brings an Eric the Circle comic. Grant does not connect with animated movies, but at least Mark enjoys abstract co...

Mark has more travel woes, and both hosts recount their holiday weekends. There were some dessert issues. Mark brings an Invisible Bread comic, wishing to talk about the influx of discount cards. He has a bone to pick with grocery stores in particular, while Grant finds a reasonable explanation Mark is hesitant to accept. Grant brings a Calvin and Hobbes comic, because it’s treehouse time. Did you...

Mark had to figure out health insurance, and wonders how different people deal with computers. Mark professes his love of keyboard shortcuts. Grant brings an Adam@Home comic after a bit of delay. He wants to know what Mark is picky about. Mark surprises Grant, and then Grant provides another perspective. Mark brings a Meg comic. After arguing over the nature of salad bars, Grant describes his issu...

Mark and Grant consider innovations in cinema technology. Mark puts 3D movies on blast, while Grant wonders if anyone was upset when movies got sound. Mark brings a Breaking Cat News comic to talk about holiday plans and preparation. What are your hosts up to for the upcoming season? They also investigate a new business idea. Grant brings a Fowl Language to discuss memory. Maybe. He couldn’t remem...

Grant’s location is nearly disclosed as Mark tries to give him something to do. Board games and movies are discussed. Grant brings Cornered and Mark finally screwed up. Grant’s a bit miffed about credit being stolen from him. Mark continues to work with amazing people who never put him in such a position. Mark brings a Berkeley Mews comic for a brief conversation about playing dead in the real wor...

Mark played some sports, and is paying for it dearly. Grant had a physically necessary weekend, and his coworkers are way too invested in his personal life. Mark brings an Angry Little Girls comic to talk about secrets. First, an argument about inflection occurs. Your hosts have their most productive discussion in months. Grant brings a Lola comic, and it is almost never revealed why. Instead your...

Mark wants to talk Halloween as a real adult, and reminisces about the Halloweens of his youth. Grant brings The Duplex so your hosts can share the best stress-management techniques they have. Be prepared to feel calm, cool, and collected. Mark brings a Drabble comic, and Grant’s able to guess why. What’s your favorite style of water bottle? Mark has an upgrade, and Grant isn’t sure why he got a n...

Our second guest in podcast history is Matt [Last Name Withheld]. Grant doesn’t want to go against precedent, so we still have some sort of intro. Mark brings a Broom Hilda comic to talk about group projects, but not before Grant made some questionable comments. A celebrity draft is held. Matt comes out swinging with a Frazz comic. He’s interested in grocery habits, particularly when it comes to b...

Mark is tired and had a rough day. Throughout the episode, this affects his judgement and sense of humor. Grant didn’t look at a recipe before making it, and there’s a brief movie discussion. Grant brings a Monty comic and wants to discuss kitchen gadgets. Mark has spotty coverage of normal kitchen utensils, and one fantastic appliance. Mark brings a Peanuts comic to briefly talk about beans, but...

Mark laments the loss of the Twins, but makes up for it with pizza talk. Mark and Grant make an exceptional case for a potential sponsor. Grant has a grocery story, and Mark has a bone to pick with some quick-service restaurants. Mark brings a Dark Side of the Horse comic. He hasn’t found Choco Taco’s yet, but that’s okay. Smoothies are still pretty good, as long as they’re a snack. Grant brings a...

We apologize for Grant’s poor audio quality. It’s better than the last time things broke, but still not ideal. Mark and Grant talk about their days as they recover from travel. Grant brought the same comic as Episode 39, so luckily Mark noticed. Grant quickly switched to a Frank and Ernest comic so they could talk about self-improvement. They each have some things to get better at. Mark brings a B...

Mark prepares for Grant’s arrival with five, or maybe three, perhaps four, star level accommodations. Mark tells a story, and pool chemistry is discussed. Mark brings a Pearls Before Swine comic while Grant insults the goats of the world. They’re bad on their own, but excellent when on top of horses. Grant brings Luann comic. He really wants another shot at last week’s topic, but Mark isn’t in the...

Grant only uses his calendar for other people. Is that weird? Mark is not building a computer, but saw some tortoises. Grant brings a Barkeater Lake comic and it isn’t funny. Grant points out an interesting assumption from his coworkers, and your hosts discuss communication between friends. Mark brings a TOBY comic by the comic philanderer Corey Pandolph. Grant really struggles through this one. A...

Mark has some new projects at work and Grant hurt his finger. Mark wants Grant to watch Psych . Mark brings an Eyebeam comic to explain the superiority of The Princess Bride in book format. This leads to a brief discussion on books and their movie counterparts. Grant brings an Ink Pen comic. He’s interested in explaining how a person’s words can be noxious fumes. Mark and Grant narrowly avoid spen...

Mark and Grant talk about the zoo. Do you like the zoo? Because your hosts certainly do. Grant brings The Born Loser comic, starting a surprisingly engaging discussion about sauerkraut. They also take their first steps toward a lucrative sponsorship. Mark brings a Ballard Street comic for a brief discussion on writing utensils carried on one’s person. Grant is consistent, while Mark needs to make...

Mark and Grant talk disc golf. Both have very limited experience, but are impressed by talented people. Mark and Grant determine new listeners might be okay starting with Episode 5. Mark brings a Poorly Drawn Lines comic to talk about water and the way it forms in nature. It’s a calming, nostalgic section of the episode your hosts invite you to relax with. Grant brings a Baldo comic to talk to Mar...

Grant is having misgivings about his facial hair, so Mark tries to set him straight. No strong conclusions are made, except that microphone discipline must be reinforced. Grant brings a Stone Soup comic as he ponders the nature of his relationship with his parents. Mark seems a little less concerned, but they both agree it’s quite the odd situation. Mark taps in to Dinosaur Comics , and Grant is n...