Episode 20 – Watchmen

watchmen

 “Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face.”

Mike and Casey are charging our electric cars, voting for Richard Nixon, and getting a booth in the Gunga Diner with Ask an Atheist‘s Sam Mulvey, and Rob Kelly of the Fire and Water Podcast. Our topic, the 1986 mini-series that has been labeled “the greatest comic book of all time,” Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s Watchmen.

We dig into the series’ aggressive and intentionally unflattering deconstruction of the superhero genre, the often uncomfortable morality and motivations of its characters, and the controversial and underwhelming 2009 Zack Snyder film adaptation.

*for those interested in donating to a great cause we mention on the podcast, please check out the Hero Intiative.
Music: 
“Pruit Igoe and Prophecies” from Watchmen (and Koyaanisqatsi) by Philip Glass

Previously titled: “You’re Gonna Like This. It’s Got G. Gordon Liddy in it!”

Episode 5 – Superman

SupermanFaster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive!

In this super-sized episode, Mike and Casey take to the skies of Metropolis with returning panelists Pól Rua of Mike and Pól Save the Universe! fame, and Sam Mulvey of the Ask an Atheist radio show! Our topic? The Man of Steel, Superman!

We explore the character’s origins, his cultural relevance, his symbolism, from the glorious insanity of his Silver Age comic books to the modern attempts to make the character darker and “more realistic.”

Music: 
“Love Theme to Superman: the Movie” by John Williams
“Main Theme to Superman: the Movie” by John Williams

Previously titled: “Because I’m a Fucking Super Hero!”