The Secret Origins of Mint Condition: Comics, Movies, TV, Sports, Gaming and more

In today’s episode we start the discussion of “What is a Western”? we talk about the history of the western and the common troupes. 00:00 James introduces the topic of the show, what is a Western and hands it off to Sheriff Joe to give a history of the Western. 7:18 After wrapping up the history James asks Joe what are the troupes of the Western? Leading to a discussion about the background and la...

In this episode we are once again joined by special guest Arco Esposito to talk Marvel’s mighty mutants The X-Men. Arco gives a history, top 5 characters, the best X-Men storylines and more. Arco is also the host of his own podcast, “Movie Challenge Accepted.” You will find the link below. If you are a fan of our podcast, you will enjoy his as well. Movie Challenge Accepted https://podcasts.apple....

Today we are introducing a new feature on the podcast, The Reaction Show Edition. This is where we will review shows and movies that are happening in pop culture in real time. If you have been listening to the show you know we are fans of Star Trek, so to kick off this new feature I will be talking about Picard Season 2 episode 1 with friends of the show John Wittemore and Josh Bernhard. Warning a...

This is the second part of our “Who are you gonna call?” All Things Ghostbusters episode. We pick up right where we left off from the last part and jump into talking about Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. We then turn to the most recent installment of the series - Ghostbusters: Afterlife. We were once again joined by fellow Ghostbuster fan and host of Trash Compactor: A Star Wars Podcast, Josh Bernh...

In this episode we answer the question of “Who are you gonna call? “It’s all about Ghostbusters in this two-part episode. In honor of the recent passing of the great Ivan Reitman (we recorded this on 2/21/22) we dive deep into a movie series and franchise that left an impact on all of us, and we couldn’t do it with big time Ghostbuster’s fan and returning guest Josh Bernhard. In this first part we...

In today’s episode, we welcome special guest and long-time friend of the show, Arco Esposito. We talk about how he got into pop culture, his love of Spider-Man, finding Mint Condition, Squadron Supreme, X-Men and more. Arco is also the host of his own podcast, “Movie Challenge Accepted.” You will find the link below. If you are a fan of our podcast, you will enjoy his as well. Movie Challenge Acce...

In today’s episode, we were all about gangster, mob and organized crime movies. Don Joseph gives us the history of these movies and how they were received. We discuss the impact we think they have on the viewer and we share our favorites from the genre. 00:00 James introduces the show’s theme: gangster and mob movies. He hands it over to Don Joseph, who kicks things off with background on the genr...

In this sports edition, we talk about the NFL Conference Championship games, the Super Bowl, NFL MVP picks, MLB, NHL and more. If you enjoy this episode, please like, share and subscribe to the podcast. You can reach us at Secretoriginsmc@gmail.com and visit the Facebook group The Secret Origins of Mint Condition. We are also on Instagram @secretoriginsm. 00:00 James opens the episode, quickly han...

In this second part of “What Is Science Fiction?” episode, we review our top 5 picks for science fiction across all forms of media. We make these choices through the lens of the ways in which we defined science fiction from part 1 of this episode. We discuss Star Trek, Star Wars, The Expanse, Ghostbusters and more. As always, be alert for poaching ahead.  00:00 James introduces the part 2 epi...

In this sports edition we talk about what might be considered the best weekend in football ever, covering the NFL playoffs games that took place 1/22 and 1/23. This includes covering Bengals vs Titans, 49ers vs Packers, Rams vs Buccaneers and the highlight of the weekend Bills vs Chiefs.

In this week’s episode, we take a deep dive into a topic that most people who enjoy pop culture have thought of at some point: “What is Science Fiction?” In this first part, we lay the groundwork for discussing our favorite Sci-Fi across all media by defining terms of science fiction. If you enjoy this episode, please like, share and subscribe to the podcast. You can reach us at Secretoriginsmc@gm...

In this episode, we talk about the weekend's NFL playoffs and then catch up on all the sports highlights that we haven’t had a chance to talk about from December to now; this includes MLB, NHL, NBA, PBA and the UFC. Plus, we give you our reading and viewing recommendations. Also we had some technical issue when recording this episode, you will hear some crackling occasionally. 00:01 James giv...

In this week’s episode, we welcome our very special guest, Richie Garofalo. We talk about what got him into comics, his favorite comic book characters, coming to Mint Condition, buying and owning the store during its Silver Age, what he misses about the store and much, much more. We were so delighted to have him on the show and for the opportunity to show our appreciation for everything he did for...

In today’s episode, we catch up on NY Football, wrapping up the Giants, the Jets, NFL playoff predictions, and our grievances with the NFL. We close by sharing reading and viewing recommendations. :10 James gives the introduction to the show and hands it off to Chris to start the discussion of wrapping up NY football, starting with the Giants. 22:09 Chris and Joe move over to talking about the Jet...

In this week’s episode, we welcome special guest and friend of the show, Jack Adrien. We cover Jack’s entire secret origin: what got him into pop culture, who his favorite childhood heroes were, when he found Mint Condition, how we all became friends, Jack's favorite Star Trek episodes across all series, and more. If you enjoy this episode, please like, share and subscribe to the podcast. You can...

In this week's episode, we are talking all things Wally West with returning special guest Keith Tarnowski. We get into why Wally is such a great character, what separates him from Barry Allen, why Barry was better off dead, and where Wally is now in the comics. If you enjoy this episode, please like, share and subscribe to the podcast. You can reach us at Secretoriginsmc@gmail.com and visit the Fa...

The 2021 New Years Special In this week’s episode, we wrap up 2021 and welcome 2022 by answering questions and comments from our Facebook page. We then end the show with our Best Top 5 of 2021, but of course, we must include a few honorable mentions at the end. Thank you to everyone who left a comment, including Keith Tarnowski, Josh Bernhard, Arco Esposito, Brad Schaffer, Richie Garofalo, Steve P...

In this week’s episode, we celebrate and talk about all things Christmas. We are joined by special guest Karen Louie (James’ wife) who gives some extra holiday cheer. Topics covered are: Christmas memories, Mint Condition-related Christmas gifts, everyone's favorite game “Is It a Christmas Movie?”, favorite holiday specials, favorite Christmas movies, and a holiday pop culture wish. If you enjoy t...

In this week’s episode, we talk about Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Please note we talk all about this movie, so there are many SPOILERS AHEAD. :13 James introduces the topic of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and starts the conversation with his thoughts about the movie. He talks about how representation affected him given his background and how it is important to see your...

In this week's episode, we are joined by special guest Keith Tarnowski. He reveals his “Secret Mint Origin," how he got into to comics and how he met Joe. He also talks about working at the store and his love of The Flash, but mainly Wally West. We also have just a great discussion about comics in general, and below are links to some of the books we talk about in this episode. If you enjoy this ep...

In this sports edition, we talk about the upcoming MLB CBA negotiations and imminent work stoppage, the home stretch of the NFL season, NY football teams, and give updates on hockey, NY basketball, and more. If you enjoy this episode, please like, share and subscribe to the podcast. You can reach us at Secretoriginsmc@gmail.com and visit the Facebook group The Secret Origins of Mint Condition. We...

In this week’s episode, we talk about the recent news of the Babylon 5 reboot and all things Babylon 5, what we think about the reboot, how we started watching B5, what the show meant to us, and what we hope to get from the new show. If you enjoy this episode, please like, share and subscribe to the podcast. You can reach us at Secretoriginsmc@gmail.com and visit the Facebook group The Secret Orig...

In this week’s episode, we are celebrating Thanksgiving. We talk about what Thanksgiving was like for us growing up as well as what it means to us before launching into reading comments from followers on Facebook about why they are thankful for Mint Condition. We end the podcast with our own heartfelt and reflective reasons as to why we are thankful for Mint. If you enjoy this episode, please...

In this week’s episode, our friend John Whittemore joins us to talk about all things pop culture. He talks about how he got into pop culture, the importance of Star Wars and Star Trek (especially Dr. McCoy), when he was growing up. His history with Mint Condition, collecting comics, playing collectable cards games, and how we all became friends. If you enjoy this episode, please like, share and su...

In this special episode, we talk about a difficult and serious topic in the NHL: the sexual abuse scandal in the Blackhawks organization reaching back to 2010. I want to warn the audience that while we do not go into the graphic and specific details of the abuse, we do talk about sexual abuse, and abuse in general. We want to be sensitive to those who are listening and might find this subject unco...