The Fantasticast

The Jack Kirby Collector has this to say about page 2 of Fantastic Four #49: "[it's] the exact point when the 1960s super-hero comics peaked." The Encyclopaedia Galactica also covers this subject, going into greater detail about the impact of a second splash-page at the start of the comic, conveying the majesty and scale of the two characters portrayed. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy simply...

With real life getting in the way of editing a podcast, Steve has thrown together a brief filler episode to keep you all going for the next seven days. Send in your feedback to  fantastic4podcast@gmail.com , leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at  fantasticflameon.wordpress.com . Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

MY JOURNEY HAS ENDED THIS PLANET SHALL SUSTAIN ME UNTIL IT HAS BEEN DRAINED OF ALL ELEMENTAL LIFE SO SPEAKS... GALACTUS! With these words, so ends the first part of a three-part story regarded by many as the peak of Marvel's 1960s comics. Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland tackle Fantastic Four #48, wrapping up the opening story in the saga of the Inhumans, and introducing the Silver Surfer and Galactus...

Sue's Inappropriate Haircut When would be the least-appropriate time to get a haircut? 10 minutes before you're expected to walk up the aisle? Halfway through the Mens 100m Olympic final? Or on board a plane zooming halfway around the world, chasing a myserious super-powered being who has kidnapped another mysterious super-powered being and who may very well turn against mankind? Well, the Fantast...

Who Seeks The Seeker? Hello and welcome to the 52nd episode of The Fantasticast. There are now enough episodes for you to listen to one a week for an entire year. But it's not just about obvious and underwhelming numerical facts! This time around, Andy's got a cold, and Steve's taken advantage of that to create the most revolting episode introduction yet. We're covering Fantastic Four #46 (in Andy...

Agents Of F.O.U.R. Yes, the episode title is a blatant piece of attention-grabbing, what with the release of the TV show.  This week, we welcome back Charlie Niemeyer to the show. Host of Superman In The Bronze Age and Charlie's Geekcast , and co-host of Starman Observatory , Charlie is just the guy we wanted to have sit around whilst Steve summarises this week's issue! And what an issue. Having b...

The Gentleman's Name Is... Niemeyer! Hello and welcome to the landmark milestone never-to-be-reached-again-unless-we-restart-the-numbering fiftieth episode of The Fantasticast! In case you hadn't guessed from the title, this week Steve and Andy are joined by veteran podcaster Charlie Niemeyer. Known by some as the host of Charlie's Geekcast , by others as the host of Superman In The Bronze Age , s...

You Are Cordially Invited... Andrew Leyland and Stephen Lacey would like to invite you, the listener, to the wedding of Reed Richards and Susan Storm. Venue: The Baxter Building. Time: To be confirmed upon RSVP. Speeches to be given by the hosts and Samuel Savage. Warning: S.H.I.E.L.D., upon advice from the groom, have issued notification that due to the high public profile of the wedding, there m...

Lo, There Shall be An Episode Lo, there shall be a cover image. Redesigned by Sam Savage (more on him later) to better show off both the glorious Kirby cover artwork and the glorious Georgiou artwork. Lo, there shall be a guest host. Sam Savage (see? I told you there'd be more of him) joins us this week to try his hand at speaking out loud. He does a pretty good job of it! Lo, there shall be a cov...

Because Once Just Isn't Enough Hello and welcome to the 47th episode of The Fantasticast. There's a strong sense of deja vu in the air today, as thanks to a recording failure, Steve and Andy are doing it all over again. So, for the second time, we're covering Fantastic Four #43, wherein an evil Ben Grimm does his best to help the Frightful Four defeat the Fantastic Four. We're also checking in wit...

Change, My Dear, And Not A Moment Too Soon After 19 months and 46 episodes, Steve and Andy have decided to call it a day. Join us at the start of this episode as we broadcast live to the world to exclusively announce who the next hosts of the Fantasticast are. The betting has been hot, Rich Johnston keeps naming other potential hosts other than the ones who will be announced, and shortly, the secr...

The Final Strange Tales Hello and welcome to the 45th episode of the show. This time around, Steve and Andy are once again joined by Christine Hanefalk of The Other Murdock Papers to examine the guest appearances of Daredevil in the Fantastic Four. Well, half a guest-appearance at least. In Fantastic Four #40, the team, along with the Man Without Fear, take part in the Battle of the Baxter Buildin...

The Other Other Murdock Papers Podcast Podcast Hello and welcome to the 44th episode of the show. This week, Andy and Steve are joined by Christine Hanefalk, writer of the The Other Murdock Papers blog and host of The Other Murdock Paper podcast. Why do we have such an incredibly awesome co-host who has dedicated large amounts of time and creativity to a blind lawyer who is definitely not a super-...

From Rorschach To Father Jack Hello and welcome to the new look for the Fantasticast. The wonderful Mike Georgiou has designed a band-spanking new image for the show, which you'll have seen on our facebook page , on our twitter account , and, if you've grabbed the episode through itunes or another podcatcher, you'll be seeing it on the show's page there. Check out Mike's work at his website , foll...

Happy Birthday Us Hello and welcome to the latest Fantasticast episode. Steve has just turned 30, and Andy has just turned a little-bit more, so it's celebration time. Or at least it would be if we hadn't recorded 2 weeks in advance and forgotten when this was due to be released... This week, we look at Fantastic Four #37, as the team head into space to exact bloody vengeance upon the party respon...

Andy's Amazingly Awesomely Authentic American Accent It's challenge week over at The Fantasticast, as a surprising e-mail to the show leads Andy into uncharted vocal territory. Fantastic Four #36 sees a whole slew of firsts for the title. The Wizard and Paste-Pot Pete escape from Strange Tales, The Sandman transfers over from Amazing Spider-Man, and we get the first ever appearance of a member of...

Love (And A Sodding Big Dragon) Is In The Air In the second half of our coverage of books cover-dated February 1965, love blossoms unexpectedly. Steve and Andy take a look at Fantastic Four #35, as a giant dragon somehow comes to life and terrorises Ben and Reed's alma mater. Then in Strange Tales #129, some gubbins involving a train and some pathetic henchmen. Send in your feedback to  fantastic4...

Amazing Spider-Man Classic Today, we throw the rules out of the window and staunchly refuse to read any issue of Fantastic Four or Strange Tales. Instead,guided by editors notes, we attempt to put the comics cover-dated February 1965 into some sort of continuity order. So, we start with Amazing Spider-Man #21, co-featuring The Human Torch. It's a three-way smackdown between Johnny Storm, Peter Par...

Two Not-That-Fat Men On Fantastic Four Well, that was a different way to open the show... This week sees a slightly-shorter-than-usual episode, for a few reasons. One is we're only covering 2 comics this time around. Another is that Strange Tales doesn't have a great deal going for it. And another is that Steve's mic was creating some pretty bad sounds, so he edited the heck out of the episode to...

Yes, Mr Lister, Sir! Hello and welcome to another episode of The Fantasticast! This time around, Steve Lacey (20 Minute Longbox) and Andrew Leyland (HeyKids Comics) guide you through three excellent slices of Silver Age Marvel magic. Yes, three. We're classing Strange Tales this month as officially 'Not Crap'. Fantastic Four #33 sees Lee and Kirby break the formula and conventions of the title to...

John Byrne Quits Comics Hello and welcome to the 36th episode of the show! This time, Steve and Andy journey into Fantastic Four #32, where a mystery villain causes John Byrne to stop reading comics. Then we're off to Strange Tales #126, where two very familiar villains almost cause us to stop reading comics. Finally, we stop in to Amazing Spider-Man #18, where a returning villain barely appears,...

House Of The Fallen Storm Ooh, a cryptic title! On this episode of the Fantasticast, Steve Lacey and Andrew Leyland see the Fantastic Four title leap forward into a new era of storytelling, whilst featuring the team's very first villain. It's #31 - The Mad Menace of the Macabre Mole Man. Then in Strange Tales #125, the storytelling takes a huge leap backwards, before jumping forward again in Amazi...

The Doomcast Hello, and welcome to the first episode of the Doomcast, hosted by Professor Alan. Joining him this week are Steve Lacey and Andrew Leyland of The Fantasticast, who are summoned to the Office of the Cultural Attache of the Great State of Latveria to explain why so many of their episodes paint Doctor Doom in a villainnous light, rather than the heroic view that all peoples of Latveria...

Bad Horse, Bad Horse He rides across the nation, the thoroughbred of sin, and when you eat that burger you'll be eating him. The food contamination sees his evil game begin. That lasagne, that nice burger, that hotdog might contain, of course, some horse (some horse), some horse (some horse). Of course, if you've been ignoring the horse meat contamination scandal in the UK, then that intro means n...

Now With Genuine People Personalities The 32nd episode of the Fantasticast is here, and Steve and Andy are ready to guide you through three Silver Age issues of Marvel goodness.* *WARNING: Goodness is used for descriptive and not literal purposes. We start with Fantastic Four #29 - It Started On Yancy Street, featuring the return of a surprise guest-villain and the first instance of Jack Kirby's p...