Classic Comics Cavalcade

Amir and Jason talk about their latest pickups, including Pee Pee Poo Poo by Caroline Cash, Time Under Tension and Desperate Pleasures by M.S. Harkness, Yummy Fur by Chester Brown, Fielder by Kevin Huizenga; the zines Mineshaft, 1986 and Bubbles, along with some amazing original art by the legendary Trevor Von Eeden.

Also a discussion of the most important years of comic book history!

Ryan Claytor has been creating wonderful comics and other works of art for 20 years now. To celebrate, he's creating a new collection of that twenty years' worth of work, and he wants to invite you along to see how he created it! One Bite at a Time, Ryan's new Kickstarter, is a lovingly produced new project which does that. Ryan joins Jason to chat about the project and why it's something you'll want to have in your own collection!

This week Amir and Jason decided to have some fun and do a quick episode talking about some of the fantastic comics they've read recently. They delve deep into some great names, including Harvey Pekar, Michel Fiffe, Joe Matt, Richard Corben and many others... we'd love to hear what you think about these recommendations and others you might have for us... please share in comments!

The mysterious Malekith strikes Thor's world, but comics genius Walter Simonson won't let that storyline proceed in a predictible way. No, Thor #345 contains a pretty brilliant set of head-fakes which leads the reader to believe this issue is going to present one story when in fact it presents something very different. Amir and Jason explore and have a lot of fun with Simonson's unconventional approach.

Amir and Jason are back exploring the story of Walter Simonson's Thor, this week delving into the complex question of Whatever Happened to Balder the Brave? Yeah, Balder was dead and then got reborn and got fat and kind of lazy, but what happens when Balder is asked by Odin to go on a quest to bring a message to Loki? Some interesting shenanigans ensue.

When you have a friend who's feeling old and run down, what better way is there to cheer him up than to have him fight a Godzilla style monster? Walt Simonson answers that question in the latest breathless issue of his epic Thor run!

The guys' read of Thor continues with issue 342 - "The Last Viking!" In which Thor gets a psychic signal and goes to the secret land below the ice. Meanwhile Lorelei schemes, the DOOM hammer keeps falling, and Surtur is ready to attack New York City. Oh yeah, and Terry Austin takes over the inking chores for an issue and gives things a different - but similar - feel.

Amir rejoins Jason as the guys continue their look at Walter Simonson's masterful Thor run, this time wrapping up the Beta Ray Bill saga with the terrifically exciting Thor #340. This issue has it all! Space battles! Giant monsters! Strong, tough women! And Fandrall sitting on a hapless rebel. Join the guys for a fun chat about a great comic.

The issue title may be sad, but the actual comic is awesome. This week Amir and Jasoon dig deep into Thor 341, the issue with that great title, in which we learn about Nick Fury's family, about Thor's broad shoulders, and about all kinds of nefarious plans to hurt Thor in the future. It's another barnburner, and the guys go on a few tangents as they dig deep into this amazing issue.

As Amir and Jason dig deeper into the Beta Ray Bill saga in Thor, they find Walt Simonson hitting on all cylinders as he delivers the devastating effects of a battle, shows the power of Sif (and her conflicting emotions), and shows how a hammer is forged!

Make sure to look for Classic Comics Cavalcade on YouTube to see the artwork we praise so much!

Amir and Jason are back at it with their look at Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four. This time: the first appearance of the Black Panther in an Afro-furturistic tale of pure action and suspense. Also, we get a lot of Wyatt Wingfoot in this comic, and Amir and Jason agree: We want more Wingfoot!

Amir and Jason are back looking at the exquisite Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four run with a review of one of the most beloved comics of the Silver Age, FF 51's "This Man This Monster." This comic finds Lee and Kirby at the height of their powers, teaming up to deliver a story with a perfect balance of story and art, of pathos and power, and it also has the Kirby Exquisite on full display. If you love this comic, you'll love this chat!

Last time Amir and Jason discussed Jack Kirby's greatest comic story. Well, this one ain't too bad either, as they explore the sublime Silver Age Marvel Fantastic Four #50!

Continuing our look at the brilliant Galactus saga in Fantastic Four, Amir and Jason dig into the incredible range of work Jack Kirby delivers in FF #49. Do comics get much better than this? I say thee... nay!

You don't need a long summary for this one. This time Amir and Jason discuss one of the finest comics of the Silver Age, Fantastic Four #48 (1966). Give it a listen and let us know what you think!

Amir and Jason dig into the very first Jonah Hex story, loving John Albano's nihilistic and nasty story and Tony DeZuniga's amazing artwork. It's an great listen about a great comic!

Steranko hit comics like a bolt of thunder when he took over the art, writing AND color work on Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD. But that was back in 1967-68. How do those comics read 55 years later? Well, spoilers, they're still pretty damn fantastic. Join Amir and Jason as they discuss the work of one of comics' greatest innovators.

Amir and Jason dig into Nick Fury's two first appearances in the Silver Age, with a look at Sgt. Fury's debut in Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos #1, and Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD's first appearance in Strange Tales #135. It's the same character and the same art team on both, but why do these two comics feel so dramatically different? It's a fun examination of the genius of Jack Kirby - and the dauntless energy of Nick Fury too!

Amir and Jason begin their deep dive into Jack Kirby's Marvel war comics, with a look at a couple of standout stories in the Kirby War & Romance book, along with a discussion of who deserves credit between Lee and Kirby, and a discussion of the great coloring in early prime period Marvels. Geek out with us for a fun and slightly controversial 25-minute podcast episode!

Amir and Jason are still talking about love, Jack Kirby style, as they dig into four stories from the Kirby: Love and War collection and find them to be... not so great? But still kind of fascinating in what they do and don't tell.

Most fans primarily think of Jack Kirby as the co-inventor of the Marvel Universe and the genius behind classic series like the New Gods. But Kirby also created the whole genre of romance comics, in collaboration with his partner Joe Simon, and together the pair created some truly memorable stories. In today's episode, Amir and Jason look at three of those stories and are frankly amazed by how great they are. If you only know King Kirby from stuff like Fantastic Four, you know only part of the story!

Wouldja believe Jack Kirby co-created the romance genre in comics as well as some of the greatest comic book romance stories ever created? Amir and Jason dig into two more classic romance stories by the Simon & Kirby team (and some apparent collaborators) in this fascinating 24-minute podcast.

Amir and Jason were intrigued to read the romance comics of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, so they dug out their copies of the 2012 Young Romance anthology and read a couple of the stories from that volume. And the stories weren't just good - they were great! Hear the guys rave about these amazing comics and then come back next week for more fun conversation about the most suprising romance comics ever published.

Amir and Jason have had their complaints abou the first three issues of Punisher: POV  by Jim Starlin, Bernie Wrightson and Bill Wray. But they loved issue four, with its totally awesome '80s action vibee and its superlative art by Wrightson. Come hear the guys analyze why the comic deserves to be read -- even if it doesn't quite rise to the level of Batman: the Cult, the comic it sort of its a sequel to.

Amir and Jason complained about issue 2 of Punisher: POV. But with issue 3, either the comic hits its groove or Amir and Jason just get attuned to it, because the third issue is like a John Carpenter film or a Nightmare on Elm Street film, a strange, spooky, occasionally scary monster movie from the early 1990s. The guys dig into that insight and have fun enjoying this comic's odd vibe.

Despite an all-star cast of creators - the same group who created the excellent Batman: The Cult - the later series Punisher POV is very disappointing. Jason and Amir look at this comic and call out some of the places it fell short - and some of the places the creators could have improved it.

Amir and Jason really enjoyed reading Batman: the Cult, so they had to move ahead and discuss the proposed sequel to that powerful mini, Punisher P.O.V., which juxtaposes a psychological horror story with an intriguing meditation on vigilantism. Join them for a very interesting discussion.

This week, Amir and Jason wrap up their discussion of Batman: the Cult by Jim Starlin, Bernie Wrightson and Bill Wray, with a discussion of issue 4, which intends to wrap things up, but doesn't quite do the job perfectly. The guys bat around the brilliance of Wrightson's art, the superfluesness of Robin, and the small touches which might have made this final issue even more satisfying.

Join them for 27 minutes of spirited discussion!

Amir and Jason are back to discuss Batman: the Cult #3 by Jim Starlin, Bernie Wrightson and Bill Wray. This is anotehr dark, intense issue which makes the guys wonder how our heroes can possibly escape their horrible fate.

Join Jason & Amir for a 28 minute chat about this comic - then make sure to seek Batman: the Cult out for yourself.

Amir and Jason are back to discuss Batman: the Cult #2 by Jim Starlin, Bernie Wrightson and Bill Wray. Once again the creative team are hitting on all cylinders, delivering a shocking and great story about Batman beginning to reach his limits.

Join them for a 22 minute chat about this comic - then make sure to seek Batman: the Cult out for yourself.

Last week, after they finished discussing The Infinity Gauntlet, Amir and Jason decided they wanted to review another comic written by the great Jim Starlin. They decided to look at the roughly contemporary miniseries Batman: the Cult, with art by Bernie Wrightson and colors by Bill Wray. They expected brillaint storytelling by Wrightson, but they didn't quite expect the hyper violent script by Starlin nor the exquiste colors by Wray.

Join them for an interesting 26-minute exploration of this most unique comic.

Amir and Jason have loved every issue of the 1991 Marvel limited series The Infinity Gauntlet. And the final issue, issue #6, gives readers a thoroughly satisfying climax, complete with a smart conclusion to several story arcs and some character beats that wrap the series perfectly. Join them for 28 minutes of discussion we hope wyou will think is as excellent as the comic itself.

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Amir and Jason continue their read of Infinity Gauntlet, about as solid a set of early '90s Marvel Comics as anyone can hope to find. It's a brilliant cosmic epic, great enough for Amir to declare that Starlin is quickly becoming one of his favorite writers. Join us for 23c minutes to learn why.

If you enjoyed the pod, please rate, share and comment!

Amir and Jason are back and they're continuing their look at Infinity Gauntlet. With issue #4, things are starting to get rough and it seems like people are going to die. Lots and lots of people, starting with people with names like Wolverine, Hulk and Captain America. Join Amir and Jason for 25 minutes and hear them chat about how deftly the team of Starlin, Perez and Lim deliver this thrilling tale.

George Pérez did some brilliant work in his long and amazing comics career, and he did some of his finest work ever on Infinity Gauntlet, with writing by the great Jim Starlin. Join Amir and Jason for a discussion of the amazingly great Infinity Gauntlet #3, a series that continues to be way better than we thought it would be.

Jason and Amir continue their look at the Jim Starlin - George Perez classic The Infinity Gauntlet #2 - yep, the comic that started it all - and find that it continues the awesomeness of the first issue and works as a wonderful tribute to everything Perez brought to his comics work.

Jason and Amir were saddened by the recent death of the great George Pérez, so they had to look at one of his most classic comics. To their mutual surprise, both the guys really enjoyed Infinity Gauntlet #1, especially the brilliant art by Pérez. Come listen to their celebration of the art of one of modern comics' greatest masters.

Amir and Jason were both saddened by the death of the great Neal Adams, so this was the perfect time for them to break out their copies of Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali and talk about perhaps the greatest comic Adams ever created. Give the episode a listen and enjoy the celebration of one of the most important cartoonists of all time.

Amir had never read Steve Ditko's final "Doctor Strange" stories -- or even any Ditko Strange tales - so when Jason suggested they disucss these classics, Amir readily agreed. But Amir was surprised by how great these comics were, and how wonderful Ditko's storytelling was in these stories. Listen in for a 35-minute chat as the guys discuss this truly classic comic work.

Amir and Jason have been huge fans of the work of Daniel Clowes. So when Amir suggested they read an issue of Clowes's Eightball, they agreed it was a must-read. So they chose Eightball #8, from 1992(!), which finds Clowes at his most angsty, with a chapter of "Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron", backed by a half-dozen experiences in angst and pain. 

It's a great comic and a great listen and we hope you spend 25 minutes with us.

Like everyone, Jason is a fan of the films of Hayao Miyazaki. So Amir mentioned to Jason that Miyazaki had created a manga series of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the guys agreed they had to read it to discuss for Classic Comics Cavalcade. It was no surprise, then, that the manga is a masterpiece. Join them for a spirited discussion of this amazing work.

Now that Spider-Man: No Way Home is finally out on PPV, it's time to wrap up this round of the Marvelcast with a perfect wrapup. Spider-Man: No Way Home is in some ways a culmination of the Spider-Man films, with all its guest stars and its tight integration with the MCU. Jason and Carlos dig deep into the movie and find a whole lot to enjoy.

Warning: there are spoilers for this movie in the pod.

The Batman has been getting rave reviews and is bringing people back to theatres. But is it a good watch? Paul and Shawn join Jason to explore the complexity of Matt Reeves's take on Vengeance, with a 90 minute, tangent filled conversation filled with insights, some laughs and some very smart takes. 

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One of Amir's favorite graphic novels is Stages of Rot by Linnea Sterte, an amazing surreal and thoroughly creative story unline any other. He persuaded Jason to give the book a try, and it turns out that Sterte's creation was Jason's jam. Join Amir and Jason for about 25 minutes' discussion about this intrigiung book.

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This week Amir wanted to talk about an anthology comic he picked up recently called Cry Punch, which includes stories and art by a slew of excellent younger cartoonists, including Cristian Castelo, Linnea Sterte and Al Gofa, as well as more experienced comics creators Nick Dragotta and David Brothers. Jason obliged, and both loved talking about this book which feels like an explosion of great art by young cartoonists on the printed page. Join them for a 30 minute chat about a few favorites from the book.

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