Gobbledygeek

FIVE SECONDS AGO: Arlo cracks open the first volume of Y: The Last Man. FOUR SECONDS AGO: Paul berates Arlo for not turning on his mic. THREE SECONDS AGO: Arlo rolls his eyes, turns on mic. TWO SECONDS AGO: Arlo loudly eats into the microphone. ONE SECOND AGO: Paul presses record. NOW: Gobbledygeek's 2017 Four-Color Flashback series is here. This year, the boys will be discussing all ten volumes of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's acclaimed Vertigo series Y: The Last Man, in which every male mammal on the planet drops dead at the same time...save one young escape artist cum layabout and his pet monkey. With Vol. 1: Unmanned, the boys dive into the adventures of Yorick Brown, the laconic Agent 355, and the many varied women they come across during their adventures. Under discussion are the series' politics, its place in Vaughan's career, and what makes Guerra's simple and clean artwork so effective. Plus, Arlo was on a boat, Paul sang along to Moana, and they both struggle to find the joy in discussing pop cu

Wait, what's that? Not only did someone listen to our Grendel episodes...but they decided to join us on air?! Wonders never cease. Joining Paul and Arlo to finish last year's Four-Color Flashback series on Matt Wagner's Grendel is Chance Mazzia, who actually discovered the show thanks to Wagner's whacked-out opus. The gang discusses "Devil's Reign," collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 3, which is not technically the end of the sprawling series but marks a fine endpoint for their analysis. Orion Assante seeks to unite the world, but at what cost? Among this week's subjects are vampirism and Elvis, Trump and Obama, and the subtle art of dick jokes.   Next: a new Four-Color Flashback is upon us. This time the boys will be discussing the presumably much more popular series Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra. Up first is Vol. 1: Unmanned.

A band of dirty rebels go to extreme lengths to send a transmission that will change the fate of the galaxy...yes, that's right, Paul and Arlo are risking everything to get the Gobbledygeek season 8 premiere out there. After a months-long hiatus, the boys make their triumphant return to discuss Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, joined by So Let's Get to the Point and Welcome to Paradise's Kenn Edwards and The Deli Counter of Justice co-editor Eric Sipple. Gareth Edwards' prequel (ooh, there's the p-word) could be taken as a proof of concept for Disney's slate of standalone Star Wars films. The gang debates its merits as a Star Wars movie and a movie on its own terms; wonders why the characters don't stick out more; and asks the question that will unlock Rogue One's many secrets...why is the door stuck?   Next: to the delight of almost no one, Paul and Arlo clean house following last year's abbreviated season by finishing their Four-Color Flashback analysis of Matt Wagner's Grendel with "Devil's Reign," collected

We're back! Sort of. Before Gobbledygeek's official return next month, Paul and Arlo explain the terrible real-life circumstances that led to the hiatus. The boys discuss grief, loss, tragedy, depression, and a whole bunch of other super fun and upbeat things! To end things on a positive note, they also discuss some happy news and the pop culture they've enjoyed during the hiatus (Westworld! Arrival! Moonlight!).   Next: the show returns toward the end of next month to make another journey to a galaxy far, far away with a discussion of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

We are devastated to report that on Sunday, October 9, 2016, Arlo's mother Kim passed away. This has been a difficult year for many of us, but a death in the Gobbledygeek Family hits especially hard. So we hope you'll understand that Arlo, and the show, will be taking a much-needed hiatus to process and grieve. We will return in January 2017 with a brand new season, Season 8, but in the meantime we appreciate all the thoughts, prayers and comfort you can give to our friend and his family.    We've set up a GoFundMe campaign to help with medical expenses and funeral arrangements. We understand everyone is on a budget, but no amount is too small. If you're able, please go to https://www.gofundme.com/arlo-wiley-support-fund-2tsqaec?ssid=767925923&pos=1. 

Armed only with a glass of water and his trusty baseball bat, Kenn Edwards of So Let's Get to the Point invades the podcast this week to help Paul and Arlo kick off Gobbledyween 2016. This year's month-long horror-fest gets off to a miraculous start with a discussion of M. Night Shyamalan's sci-fi thriller Signs. After the runaway success of The Sixth Sense and the lukewarm contemporary response to Unbreakable, Signs is often considered the last film Shyamalan made before a precipitous decline; that is, when it's considered at all. The gang gets to the core of what makes Signs a worthwhile film, including a question you may hear repeated about the other movies on this year's slate: Is it a horror film at all? The boys also delve into Shyamalan's exploration of faith, how the film functions as a response to 9/11, whether or not it's okay to still enjoy a Mel Gibson performance, and more. Plus, Paul violently shames Arlo for not watching Luke Cage, and the mythical episode 300 is teased.   Next: Gobbledyween 20

Vampires, bananas, and Weird Al-esque song parodies, oh my! Paul and Arlo may be winding down their coverage of Matt Wagner's Grendel, the subject of this year's exceedingly popular (ahem) Four-Color Flashback series, but the story shows no signs of letting up in "God and the Devil" chapters 7-10. A cosmetically altered face from the distant past returns, incest is rationalized, and produce is used in an attempt to rape the sun. The boys question some of the story's leaps in logic and the general coherence of the Grendel cycle while admiring its utter batshit insanity and dynamic artwork. Plus, Paul watches TV (Arlo does too kind of) and Arlo's life has exploded.   Next: fall is in the air and blood is on the silver screen. Gobbledyween 2017 kicks off as Kenn Edwards of So Let's Get to the Point swings by to discuss M. Night Shyamalan's Signs.

Live from Denny's, it's Donora Hillard! The Jeff Bridges poet returns to talk about...pretty much everything with Paul and Arlo. While enjoying late-night diner ambiance, the gang discusses driving and the anxiety it causes; dance, of the So You Think You Can variety (featuring, upon special request, a rendition of Paul's classic Black Swan diatribe); tiny houses, one of which Donora owns; and what's in everyone's bags (Arlo's answers will amaze you). Plus David Lynch, Bunheads, arrested development (neither the rap group nor the television series)...everything.   Next: the boys take their penultimate trip to the hellish world of Matt Wagner's Grendel as this year's Four-Color Flashback nears its close, with a look at "God and the Devil, Part 2," collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 3 - Orion's Reign.

Are you in the mood to Bone? I hope so, because Paul and Arlo are returning to the world of Jeff Smith's cartoonish epic, which they explored in last year's Four-Color Flashback series, to discuss the newly released 25th anniversary book Bone: Coda. The new adventure included in the volume is described as a "completely superfluous" addition to the saga of the Bone cousins--Fone, Phoney, and Smiley--which proves that there is indeed truth in advertising. The story picks up right where Smith's magnum opus left off in 2004, but it's merely a cute little one-off. The boys debate the merits of such an inconsequential return while discussing the other two-thirds of the book, which consist of Smith's memoir-esque piece "A Moveable Pizza Party" and Stephen Weiner's A Bone Companion (what, they couldn't get Hy Bender?). Plus, Paul spent his summer vacation reading 131 comic books and Arlo describes Akron's diverse grilled cheese climate.   Next: Jeff Bridges poet Donora Hillard returns to the show to talk about whatev

The truth is out there: season 3 of The X-Files is the show's strongest season. That is, if you can trust Paul, Arlo, and the inimitable Wesley "Wezzo" Mead as they have another of their periodic discussions of Chris Carter's '90s masterwork. What makes season 3 work so well? It might have something to do with the series' expanded tonal range--a tense thriller in "Pusher," Satanic panic meetsHeathers in "Syzygy"--and the confidence with which it tackles both the monster-of-the-week hours and the increasingly complex (or is that convoluted?) mytharc installments. Then there are the Darin Morgan episodes ("Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," "War of the Coprophages," and "Jose Chung's From Outer Space"), which are something else entirely. Plus holy cow, UK politics have gotten super depressing since the last time Wezzo stopped by.   Next: Paul and Arlo return to Boneville, site of last year's Four-Color Flashback, for a look at the newly published Bone: Coda.

Q: How many drugs was Matt Wagner ingesting during the creation of Grendel? A: All of them. Paul and Arlo arrive at this conclusion in another Four-Color Flashback installment discussing Wagner's comics magnum opus, after reading chapters 1-6 of the "God and the Devil" storyline, collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 3 - Orion's Reign. After the four-part "Incubation Years" arc leapt through time in bold and bizarre fashion, "God and the Devil" finds our heroes (just kidding, there are no heroes) in the year 2530. The world has gone to shit, with the Catholic Church going back to its Inquisition roots under the reign of Pope Innocent XLII. Meanwhile, both corporate auditor Orion Assante and drugged-out street rat Eppy Thatcher fight to bring down the Church...only one of them wears the mask of Grendel, but will both be consumed by his/its force? Plus, Arlo's sick again and the boys pay tribute to Gene Wilder and David Lavery.   Next: Wesley "Wezzo" Mead returns for another episode in our ongoing series discussin

Laika, the studio behind Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls, has gifted us with a new film: Kubo and the Two Strings, wherein a young one-eyed Japanese boy plays his magical shamisen and pals around with a Monkey and a Beetle while evading the evil grandfather looking to steal his other eye. As one does. Paul and Arlo get in tune with Kubo, digging into the film's symbolism, its unusual (for a mainstream animated film) themes of grief and impermanence, and how it perfects the nearly dead artform that is stop-motion animation. Is it suitable for kids? What does its underwhelming box office performance say about what audiences expect from animated films? And what does that polarizing ending mean? All this and more, plus Arlo saw an actual Beatle.   Next: for another great story that deserves a wider audience, Paul and Arlo continue their year-long Four-Color Flashback exploration of Matt Wagner's Grendel with "God and the Devil, Part 1," collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 3, pp. 115-270.

Ever gotten so low you've thought about building a machine that'll transport your consciousness inside a tricaster? Yes? Well then, buddy, have we got the movie for you. (And if you're asking yourself what a tricaster is, you also should watch this movie!) Joseph Lewis, original Gobbler and one-third of the Three Heathens, tells Paul and Arlo all about his feature film directorial debut A/V. The gang discusses production highs and lows, the challenges of fight choreography on a shoestring budget, what it's like to hand a copy of your movie to Kevin Smith, and how Arlo plays the most crucial role in the film. This heathen's made good.   Next: Paul and Arlo tune up for Kubo and the Two Strings.

Suicide is painless, so they say. But is Suicide Squad? That's up to Paul and Arlo to decide, as they slather on clown makeup and hide their fuzzy pink unicorns to discuss the third film in the DC Extended Universe. Joining these Mostly Marvel Men is DC fan and opinionated tweeter Scott Stamper, known to the common folk as @DerfelMarek. Does the movie live up to its hype? Does it point to a bold new direction for the DCEU following the disappointments of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? As usual, there is disagreement. Whod'a thunk it. Plus, Paul and Scott dive into the 2015 animated film Justice League: Gods and Monsters while Arlo listens.   Next: original Gobbler and proud member of the Three Heathens, Joseph Lewis stops by to talk about his feature directorial debut, A/V.

Willie Nelson, John Wayne, preachers, bloodsuckers, angels, and arsefaces. Welcome to the world of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's classic Vertigo comic book Preacher, which has now been adapted into a television series on AMC courtesy of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Breaking Bad's Sam Catlin. Paul and Arlo previously analyzed the comic book on the blog back in 2012 and now set their sights on the show's recently wrapped first season. The show takes an interesting route in exploring this tale of a small-town preacher cursed with the Word of God; namely, the ten hours that aired this year feel like a prologue to the series proper. The boys discuss the effectiveness of that approach; the spot-on casting of Dominic Cooper, Joseph Gilgun, and Ruth Negga as the unholy triumvirate of Jesse, Cassidy, and Tulip; how the series stays true to the spirit of Ennis and Dillon's work, even without being able to drop an F-bomb; and what they hope they'll see in the second season. Plus, Paul travels No Man's Sky and Arlo be

This week on Gobbledygeek, Arlo has Pokémon fever! That's right, he has become one of the hordes of mindless zombies trawling their backyards and local establishments for Japanese pocket monsters via the Pokémon Go mobile game. Then, Paul reports live from San Diego Comic-Con 2016 (sort of)! He and Arlo give their scalding hot takes on footage from Wonder Woman, Justice League, and more! They get into the icky, misogynistic controversy surrounding the new animated film version of Batman: The Killing Joke! Is all of this a ploy to get you to actually listen to the next episode in our year-long Four-Color Flashback series analyzing Matt Wagner's Grendel? Why, yes! Yes, it is! No one cares, but this week, the boys dig into the bold, bizarre, brazen "Incubation Years," collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 3 - Orion's Reign, pp. 10-112! It's good, we swear!   Next: after a week off, Paul and Arlo return to discuss the first season of AMC's Preacher adaptation. What's that? You haven't watched Preacher yet? Go watch

Can you dislike Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot without being a woman-hating, frothing-at-the-mouth MRA cave troll? Well, Paul and Arlo sure hope so. While championing the concept of a female-led Ghostbusters movie and praising the comic abilities of the girls in gray--Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones--the boys deconstruct the problems not just with this film but modern mainstream comedies in general. They also dig into how this film's story breaks the mold set by the original movies, its attempts at social commentary, and its action- and CGI-stuffed climax. Plus, Paul delves into Stranger Things and reminds us he used to train Pokémon.   Next: it's Grendel time again, which means it's time for us to badger you--or anyone!--to read along with us. Our Four-Color Flashback exploration of Matt Wagner's epic tale continues with "The Incubation Years," collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 3 - Orion's Reign, pp. 10-112.

The Geek Challenge. It's a time-honored tradition: Paul makes Arlo watch some silly '80s cheesefest, Arlo subjects Paul to a stuffy revered classic. Everyone loses. In the interest of restoring some spontaneity to this well-worn custom, this time Arlo forces upon Paul perhaps the cheesiest movie of the '80s, Y.K. Kim's 1987 cult "classic" Miami Connection, in which a group of power balladeers do battle with cocaine ninjas; while Paul finally makes Arlo watch 1956's Forbidden Planet, a retro-futuristic take on Shakespeare's The Tempest and a legitimate classic of the sci-fi genre. Once again, the boys try to get at what makes the other tick and just what makes a great movie anyway. Also, you'll never guess the very tenuous connection between the two films. No, really. You won't.   Next: there's somethin' strange in your neighborhood, and it's Paul Feig's distaff Ghostbusters reboot.

Descents into madness on the hellish streets of New York City. The tragic inevitability of violence. Bitter, brutal punchlines. This is the world of Matt Wagner's Grendel, which Paul and Arlo continue to explore in this year's Four-Color Flashback series. This time, the boys dip into Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 2 - The Legacy, pp. 377-549, for "The Devil Inside," wherein happy-go-lucky San Franciscan Brian Li-Sung has become corrupted by NYC and possibly some other forces; and "Devil Tales," in which an elderly Wiggins spins two yarns of the original Grendel, Hunter Rose. Paul and Arlo discuss the change of pace from the twelve-issue Christine Spar epic to smaller, self-contained stories; the indie comix stylings of Bernie Mireault; and how Wagner continues to push the boundaries of comic book storytelling. Plus, Arlo is allergic to podcasts!   Next: the boys take the week off to get all patriotic for July 4th, then return with another Geek Challenge. The tables will turn, with Arlo challenging Paul to a ludicrousl

Proving their first X-Files episode with renowned British person Wesley "Wezzo" Mead was no fluke, man, Paul and Arlo continue their sporadic discussion of Chris Carter's '90s phenom with a look at season 2. The gang casts their ominous flashlight beams on the season's highs and lows, Scully's abduction, the coming of Darin Morgan, and whether or not the mythology already shows signs of wear. Also, first-time viewer Arlo trusts no one's opinion. Plus, as usual, a conversation with Wezzo about the UK's dire political climate.   Next: our year-long Four-Color Flashback exploration of Matt Wagner’s Grendel continues with “The Devil Inside” and “Devil Tales,” collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 2, pp. 371-542.