Badr 0:27

Yoo, short box nation, welcome back to the pod. Thanks for pressing play today. And if you're brand new, hey, welcome to the show. I'm your host, Badr, and this is the Short Box Podcast, the comic book talk show where we bridge the gap between the panels of your favorite comics with the people who put their blood, sweat, and tears into making them. This is a short box classic episode, meaning it's an oldie but a goody. You know the deal by now. I went to the archives and found one of my favorite old episodes to re-release this week. We're on the road to 500. So I wanted to look at what were some of the other key milestones. This is technically episode 300, which was released way, way, way back in October of 2020. Wow. Episode from 2020. We hit we hit episode 300 during the COVID years, the height of COVID and the pandemic and the lockdowns and all that stuff. But I will say, episode 300 is probably prior to recording episode 500, which I did about two weeks ago, I can't wait for you guys to check that out. Prior to recording episode 500, I would have told you episode 300, this episode, the short box classic you're about to hear now, was or is, was, is my favorite milestone episode. And it's because not only was it, you know, the full cast, not only was it Cesar and Ed was on this episode and Ashley, but the production quality, I feel like I I was trying new things. This one has a lot of voicemails, a lot of uh phone calls, a lot of friends and and past guests of the show called in, even some mystery guests. There's one in particular that if you are a comic fan and worth your spit, you will absolutely appreciate hearing from one creator in particular. I won't ruin the surprise, you'll hear it like immediately after this intro is done. So, yeah, I mean it felt like a giant celebration. We have people call in, leave voicemails. I mean, you know, this was 300 episodes at the time, so about six years into the podcast, the main segment of the show uh finds us discussing Amazing Spider-Man number 300. You know, 300, 300, why not? Amazing Spider-Man 300. For those of you that don't know, that is Venom's first full appearance in Spider-Man. So we figured, hey, if we're gonna celebrate the 300th episode, why not look at one of the most iconic comic books ever that happened to be number 300, right? Amazing Spider-Man number 300. So that's the main segment of the show. We also, uh, like I said, do some fan mail. We do uh champion season, we do a round table of that. So this is a really fun episode. Right? I know I said that about all of the short box classic episodes, but this one in particular has a very fond place in my heart. I would say this is a top five, if not top three, favorite episode of mine. Like I said, not only is the production quality uh really good, I was trying new things, I was learning new techniques. But yeah, it was one hell of a way to bring in a giant milestone at the time. 300 was such a big deal. So it's crazy to think that six years later I'd be here finalizing the 500th episode. Man, life comes at you fast. If you've heard this episode before, awesome. I appreciate you for sticking with the short box for the last six years. If you're new and you haven't heard this episode, you're in for a treat. But here's a little secret Episode 500 is technically available right now over on the Patreon. Patreon subscribers get first dibs on that. The video version is up on Patreon and I'll be dropping the audio podcast version here in a couple of days. So if you're on your subscriber, check it out. You get early dibs. And if you're not a Patreon subscriber, uh consider checking it out. All right, you can actually sign up for a free seven-day trial. If you go to patreon.com slash short box. Seven days is plenty of time to get an early access to episode 500. And if you want to stick around, awesome. There's plenty of rewards and perks and different things you get for being a Patreon subscriber. And if you don't, if you just want to sign up for the seven-day trial and bounce after that, yo, more power to you. So, yeah, that's what I got for you this week. A short box classic episode, episode 300, being re-released for you today. Enjoy, and I'll catch you next week, alright? Peace.

Tza Chun 4:18

Hey, this is Z Chun from TKO Studios, and you're listening to the Shortbox Podcast, one of TKO's favorite podcasts about comics.

SBX Hotline 4:30

You have reached the short box hotline. No one is available to take your call, leave a message, and keep it the Kiki.

Rob Liefeld 4:37

Hey, hey, short box podcast. The short box podcast. Vader, Caesar, Ashley, Ed, what is up? I have brought my uh Deadpool Katana straight. There's there's B and Arthur straight from the set of Deadpool to uh give you guys a shout out on your 300th episode. Holy crap! That is that is a lot. Vader. Man, I hope I'm saying Bader. Because it doesn't sound like Bader, not bader, but Caesar Ashley Ed, the Sort Box Podcast. Okay, you guys, if there was a cake for your 300th episode, I'd slice it and dice it with my katanas. Okay, so here you go. Um, congratulations for all your accomplishments. Um, 300, huge, huge deal. Congratulations. Take care of yourself. Rob Leifeld, out.

Al Letson 5:28

Yo, short box. What up, what up, what up? Yo, this is your boy, Al Ledson. Um, episode 300 is utterly amazing. I'm just blown away by it. I love the work you do. I love all of you. I just have one issue. How come I ain't a part of the crew? I do podcasts. I'm nerdy. Come on, what's up? It ain't even right. Next time we get to episode 600, like I should be a guest or something. I should like something I shouldn't even be a guest. I should be like a co-host. I got peabodies and shit. I fit in. Let me how can I be down? But anyway, whatever. I just gotta say, I love this podcast. I love all of y'all. I can't wait to see you again, and I'm just super happy and proud of you, man. You guys, you guys did the damn thing. Dude.

Adam Wollett 6:17

Hey guys, it's Adam Wallett. Congrats on 300 episodes. Here's the 300 more, and I know you don't have to say it, you couldn't have done it without me. Have a good one, guys.

Walt 6:29

Yo, this is well. Um, congratulations on 300. We will shoot the chase tones. Peace.

Mom 6:38

Hi, brother. That's your mom. Um, I listened to your radio show. I can't believe what I'm hearing from you. Honey, you're nasty. I can't believe what it comes up from your mouth. I think I raised you better than that. That's the reason why you're missing the assembly denom. Because we I guess you find something nasty. And say that with you too. I can't believe that, man. I guess I have to call his mom. He's nasty too. I'm sure his mom, she's not gonna be happy with that. I'll talk to you later, but I'm mad.

Badr 7:15

Yo, Shortbox Nation. We made it 300 episodes, eight years in the making. Some of you have been rocking with us since our debut back in December 2012. Some of you have stuck around despite our early episodes sounding like they were recorded with tin cans. A few of you probably recall Cesar's first time he ever did the Bane voice on this show. Of course! Episode three, for those of you keeping track. Uh, some of you maybe remember Ed's podcast debut when he was a member of an upstart called Gam. Uh some of you were probably here when Ashley joined the crew full time. And some of you probably started listening just this year. Regardless of the number of epis uh short box episodes under your belt, we're here, and it's because of listeners like you, our unmatched short box nation, the greatest listenership a podcast could ask for. But just in case we are joined by some new friends tuning in for the first time, allow me to welcome you to the Short Box Podcast, your soon-to-be new favorite comic book podcast, focused on reviews, recommendations, and interviews of the industry's best creators. I'm your host, Bodder, Rob Lightfield's favorite name the butcher, and I'm joined by my crew of sarcastic fanboys, including my right hand man, my nasty man. Say so Darrow. Tonight we dine in hell. We've got the especial Edmund Danzar here with us. Special. Hello. And the Sultana of the Short Box crew. Sultan Lenny. Trust me, Cynonim.com. I was on it all night long. I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you. Yo, thanks, Ken. I'm feeling special, man. Happy 300, everyone. How are y'all feeling today?

Cesar 8:48

Only you would make this a holiday. Only Bonna would make this a holiday that we have to come into work to. Like it's like, yo, the 300's a major event. Y'all take the day. Nah, nah. You can't take the day off. But I really could use it. My mom still be like it's really harder. My aunt in Puerto Rico just got smashed by this hurricane. Yeah, we can't have her on. Is that why you brought her up?

Ed 9:13

It's too late to leave a voicemail.

Badr 9:15

Sorry. Oh, Alex. Ashley, how are you feeling? Happy 300.

Ashley 9:21

I feel special. I really do. I thought it was just gonna be like a regular episode.

Badr 9:25

You thought it was just gonna be a regular episode, I think. You know, how long have you been with us? Like any chance for me to pat myself on the back. I'm gonna make it special. There it is. We got a photographer here with us today just because. Yo, shout out to Tony Smiley G, by the way. How do you say it? I said I said smiley. You said it real quick.

Cesar 9:43

He goes, shout out to Tony Smiley.

Badr 9:45

Rob Refield that name. Swing, shing, swing, shing. That's right. As you can probably tell by now, we aren't the only ones excited for today's milestone. Uh, you're gonna hear from a lot of friends with the show, past guests, and short box alumni all throughout this episode. But first, we get to talk about my favorite superhero, Spider-Man. And one of the most iconic comic covers, if not comic itself, uh of all time, Amazing Spider-Man number 300. Now, this episode is brought to you by our sponsor, Gotham City Limit, Jacksonville's premier location for comics, collectibles, toys, and more. Check them out if you live in the area, or if you ever find yourself in Jacksonville looking for a really awesome comic shop. Uh, today's first half topic, which is Amazing Spider-Man 300, is specifically brought to you by our short box patrons. We asked our patrons what comic they wanted us to cover for today's special occasion, and they let their voices be heard. You asked for it. Literally. Amazing Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man 300 beat out Spawn 300 and Frank Miller's 300. I heard so good. As you can tell, we had a theme going on by a significant margin. Ashley, was there one in particular you were hoping would win out of these three?

Ashley 10:51

I was I was rooting.

Badr 10:52

Right a bag, Dad.

Ashley 10:53

I was I was rooting for Frank Miller's 300. I think that got the least amount of votes. Oh, it was.

Badr 11:00

It was it one single.

Ashley 11:02

It was like one, and it was you.

Badr 11:03

It was just a third. So yeah. Ashley was like, it's definitely not me. I'm like, Ashley, I can download the polls. It says Ashley Laney Hoy. Who's that? Also, what are you, beaker from the Muppets? What is this? That's a great impression. So I want to go ahead and thank our patrons for voting and helping steer this ship and you know, doing the work for me. I love it. Um, if you're interested in voting for our next episode topic and helping us pay some podcast bills, consider becoming a short box patron. We'll give you access to our private podcast feed that has bonus episodes and commercial free versions of our weekly show. You can also score some pretty cool merch that only the short box elite have access to. See for yourself on our membership site, patreon.com slash the shortbox. Says our pop quiz. If our listeners aren't in a position to help with their dollars, what else can they do to help us grow the show?

Cesar 11:50

Thank you for asking, butter. Cook a batch of chili fries and then take it to a public playground. You know, just really No? No, not at all.

Badr 11:58

What type of is that gonna help us? Well, try again, buddy. Try it okay, okay. What else can they do? Feed the homeless. Well close? Actually, not even close. No Cuban for you at all. Um I would have taken leave a review slash rating on Apple Podcast or tell a friend to subscribe as correct answers. And since you failed, I'm gonna mute mute your mic the whole time. Nice, yeah. Great. Yeah. Yeah, sorry. Thank you. Sweet. No one can hear that. So stop talking. Sweet. Uh but before I go any further, in the interest of those listeners who haven't read this comic, Spider-Man 300, and might be interested in reading it on their own, might I recommend giving this episode a pause and checking Comicsology, the Marvel Unlimited app, or services like Hoopla to read it digitally. Now, normally I would suggest our listeners check out their local comic shops to find a copy. But we are talking about a pretty popular and pricey back issue. And I'll ask you guys for your best guesses. Which I'm sure you can find at Gotham City Limits for an affordable price.

Cesar 12:54

Yeah, absolutely. I'm sure they do payments just like a car. Yeah, tell them Christmas coming up. Tell them Butter sent you.

Badr 13:03

Yeah, that ain't gonna get no hell. You might double charge him. What's this VAT tax? I thought that was all European. Um I want to get everyone's best guesses. Can can anyone tell me what this particular um uh issue is roughly going for online? Uh the closest guest wins a no prize.

Ashley 13:18

Do we have a grading on it or oh good?

Cesar 13:22

Okay, no, no, no. Uh let's say from let's say from from mint. Yeah. Like all the way 100% perfect to very fine.

Ashley 13:32

Okay, so between like a 9.0 and like a 9.8.

Cesar 13:35

Sure. What does that mean, Ashley?

Ashley 13:38

You know what that means.

Cesar 13:39

Um I'm playing. But I was like, I'm playing the part of a dummy every episode I've been on. Guys.

Ashley 13:50

Okay, so very nice condition. $300.

Cesar 13:53

Okay. All right. $300. What about you? $300 for $300. Okay. I'm going to say I like cheap.

Ed 14:00

Oh, that's very clever. I'm going to go $299. I think we do prices right. Oh. No, I'm going to say I think like $250. I think.

Badr 14:08

Okay.

Cesar 14:09

$250 is not bad. All right. See, what about you? Actual retail value is. I'm going to go, honestly, I'm going to go with um $170. Okay. So you said uh $250. Because it's not the 90s anymore.

Badr 14:22

Okay, so according, I'll give you guys two different prices. The CGC kind of copy and then the non-CGC version. So according to comics.go collect.com, uh, copies of this issue, particular comic book, sold this month, October 2020, alone for um a CGC 9.8 sold for 2.9 thousand, so about $2,900. I know. And then and then the price kind of drastically drops when it comes to CGC, as you guys know. 9.6, so only 0.2 lower, sold for about a thousand. Non-CGC copies um sold on eBay like recently for between 450 to about mid-500s. That's crazy.

Cesar 15:02

Now, what about the copy that my boy J Boog has in his garage? Um that it's graded two. Uh silver bugs all eight. Two all the corners.

Badr 15:13

You might you might get two dead cockroaches, um, uh 74 fish.

Cesar 15:17

That's affordable in this market. It's affordable.

Ed 15:19

That's crazy.

Ashley 15:20

Wait, so did I win?

Badr 15:21

Yes. Yeah, you won, Ashley.

Ashley 15:23

That was way off, and I still have to.

Badr 15:25

You were you were way closer than any of us. Wow. Yeah. So your prize? Nothing. So per the usual. So thank you, Ashley. Get the people out of there. Yay! That's definitely actually more cheaper than those two cockroaches.

Cesar 15:42

I'm noticing every time Ashley comes in, she's dressing more and more neutral. Yeah. Like a communist just coming in with a jumpsuit. You know, like I'm just not gonna accessorize anymore.

Ed 15:54

She has a sultano, the short box. Can't handle it anymore. I don't get enough credit for that.

Badr 15:59

Can't accessorize anymore.

Ashley 16:01

Can't handle the burns.

Badr 16:02

No. Um that leads me to my next question. Has anyone ever does anyone currently own or has ever owned a copy of this comic? He's selling them the shits. Two copies. Ooh, two.

Cesar 16:12

I have two copies. So look at Mr. Privilege over here. Wow. Nope. They don't get me shit. Do you still currently own any of them? I do. And I'm not telling you. You know exactly where they are. That's where I keep all my comics. Are they 9.6 or above? Uh no. One of them isn't. The other one's in pretty good condition. Cool. I I don't think I've ever owned a copy of this one, but I don't trust sending it out to get graded, man. Fuck no. Like I get they get swapped out from the city. You know what I'm saying? Like I would send it out, and then some guy would be like, yeah, Vogue, this is a 3.1. I'm like, that's not what I sent you. I have pictures.

Badr 16:48

I have proof. Yeah. I I have met a few folks that are have been like that have multiple copies of this. And the the buddy that comes to mind, see, is Sebastian. Seabass. Oh, of course. I think when I around the same time I met you, was the same time I met Seabass, and of course that was like his prime fucking collecting days. And that was around the same time I was introduced to Tom McFarlane Spider-Man because that's all they were looking for.

Cesar 17:10

She would always pull out the comic, like, take it for a spin. Like he was like a car salesman. Like, because he knew, like, you know, he knew we weren't gonna manhandle it. He would just be like, What do you think, man? Take it for a spin. I'd be like, what am I supposed to do with it? Read it? Or like I'm just gonna I'm good. I don't want to touch it.

Badr 17:26

Um let's go ahead and dive into our review of this particular um issue. I want to give a quick synopsis. Once again, uh uh we are reviewing Amazing Spider-Man number 300. Uh, it was released in May 1988. It uh is the first full appearance of Venom. I think the story itself is titled Venom. The script is by David McAlini. Nicely done. Thank you, sir. Uh art by Todd McFarlane. Ooh, it'd be funny if you messed up that name. Todd McFartlan. Oh, baby. Um, that's not my best joke. I got I got some more jokes. I probably was like, I got some singers. Oh. All right, but the synopsis. Uh Spidey's old alien costume has merged with reporter Eddie Brock, who thinks his career was ruined by Spider-Man, and the symbiote of the two, Venom, takes on the webslinger. At Mary Jane's request, Spidey returns to the blue and red costume as she now finds his black duds way too creepy. This is the last issue in which Spider-Man appears in the black costume. There is a cameo by the thing of the Fantastic Floor and his house slippers and uh almost. Um I also uh something else I want to mention. Apparently, in the original issue, there's a special Stan soapbox in place of the letters page, which happened to be a full page editorial by Stan Lee on the occasion of Spider-Man's 300th issue. Um on Marvel Unlimited app, of course, they kind of get rid of all the letters pages and the ads. Um so I didn't have a chance to read that, but that definitely kind of piqued um my interest. Uh, did anyone find out any like interesting uh trivia Easter eggs or anything like during the research or anything?

Ed 18:56

Just some Easter eggs since I've I read it online, so you can kind of like zoom in and you know and stuff like that. So I saw like the the that crazy moving scene because rich supermodel can't hire some effing movers. Yeah, um when you got free free 99 friends. Jesus, yeah, some weird friends. There's like a Highway botter method. The biggest apartment in New York. You can't hire movers, but um, there was a guy with a Gumby t-shirt in there, and there was another guy that looked like it was an ambush bug t-shirt, which is a very and it's a DC character, which is another deep cut. So that's a real deep cut. He's kind of one of the first kind of fourth uh what is it, fourth wall breaking characters, sure. So that was and I don't know if it was him or one of the the micronauts, the grasshopper guy, but I'm thinking it's ambush bug, but it's like half his face, so just kind of getting being able to zoom in on like weird little stuff like that, and like the Felix the Cat thing.

Cesar 19:52

I think uh I think we should also talk about before we go any further that Rick Parker did the lettering, Bob Sharon did the colors, uh, Jim Salakrup was the editor, and our favorite cigar chomping editor from the bullpen, Tom DeFalco, was the editor in chief back in the day. Um Tom DeFalco was a name that is no stranger to uh uh controversy, but also put out some really good ass shit during his run.

Badr 20:15

Oh yeah, absolutely. Um I'll go ahead and add that uh it was nice to see Rick Parker's name as the letterer. Right. Um for very selfish reasons. I got to interview him for one of our bonus episodes. Um uh Camp Parker, him, Rick Parker, and um, thank you, thank you. Um and uh it didn't dawn on me that yo, Rick Parker has been doing a lot of lettering, and he even brought it up in the in the panel I got to do with him um was that you know he still gets asked to sign that particular comic a lot. So there's a lot of folks that like have gotten uh David's um um uh signature, Todd's signature, and also his and I mean right out the gate, you look at the op the credits for the comic book, there's like little spider webs hanging from it.

Cesar 20:53

You gotta wonder if that's if that's Rick or Todd. But I would I would assume it's Rick.

Ed 20:57

It's hand lettered because did you see that McFarland found one of the pages from the book like I think a few months ago?

Cesar 21:03

No.

Ed 21:03

The page where like uh Eddie Brock is going to his like home gym.

Cesar 21:08

Sure.

Ed 21:08

And like there's that transition panel walk through the shadow. But yeah, it has that page with the lettering on it.

Badr 21:13

Oh, cool. So yeah, so it's oh that's badass.

Ed 21:15

Yeah, so he found that nice.

Badr 21:17

That's cool. I will I will add uh as far as like trivia goes, I think this is it's the first full appearance of Venom. It is the um the 25th anniversary of of Spider-Man, and it's also the first, well at least the first ink job by Todd McFarland. Because prior to that, I think the two issues prior, 299 and 298, he was doing the artwork, but it was uh Bob McLeod that was doing the inking. And it is such a drastic change.

Ed 21:40

And his first uh Mary Jane with that big luxurious 80s hair. Yeah.

Cesar 21:44

Oh, I mean, and among other things. Oh, yeah. This is a comic book Jesus Christ, but you couldn't help yourself, right? You couldn't find yourself.

Badr 21:53

That's for you, Chris.

Cesar 21:54

Yeah, there'll be plenty of that also later on in the uh in the episode, I'm assuming, based on some of the Yeah, right away comics. Absolutely. But I this comic also reminds me as a journalist to never treat any other fellow journalists with any kind of fucking shade. Because you never know when they might get an alien alien symbiote and just make your life a little bit more.

Ed 22:16

Of course. Of course, yeah. You were TMZing. All right. You were trying to be TMZ now because he was writing for the inquiry. That's not pretty sweet. Yeah. He's like writing for you can't go wrong. And because there's a lot of like said exposition in this. And it's just like part of the time, but it's good if you haven't like so dude reading this standalone. Yeah. It makes sense. But just in today's like 2020 eyes, you know, it's just like, man, they're really, he's really monitor shows. Do you know why though?

Cesar 22:46

You know, Bonner and I were talking about this before the show. It's because there's so much fuckiness around the black shoe. The yeah, the symbiote. Like so many artists and writers had touched it, and everything is weird and different, and nobody had kind of really solidified like what it does, where it comes from, what are we doing with it?

Ed 23:04

Because they were making that concurrently with the Secret Wars stuff. Right. So, and then there was a lot of backlash because people didn't want the change. Right. You know, and then when they did change, and then Todd McFarlane they were saying, I was I heard an interview, not from him, but he didn't like drawing the black suit. Huh. And uh any particular reason? Uh it didn't see they didn't really go into it. They just said that he hated the black suit. He wanted to draw. I said, and I don't know if he was grandstanding at this point in his career, but he's like, if you want me to do the book, I could see him doing this totally. It's like you want me to draw the book, I'm not drawing that black costume. Huh.

Ashley 23:36

You know, it's just so much easier.

Ed 23:37

I was just about to. I know. That's what I was thinking.

Cesar 23:39

But you know what though? It's like it's like a white whale, like a Moby Dick thing. Like, it's like, yo, I drew for Spider-Man. And then you know draw the real Spider-Man. Exactly. I can see that I can see that in Todd's head, like somebody rolling up on him and be like, bro, you drew like the fucking Batman Beyond costume. You didn't draw the iconic fucking.

Ed 23:57

And did you talk about a gatekeeper? Have you heard about the uh the rumor that Venom was originally planned to be a woman? Did you guys hear that? No, I didn't know. Like she was it was supposed to be the story was that it was a couple and she was pregnant, and then Spider-Man was fighting something, and they and they were like hailing a cab, and then so Spider-Man swings and he's fighting somebody, and the the cab driver gets distracted and runs the husband over, and then she goes into labor and the kid dies, so her husband and kid dies. And then Symbia, yeah, it was really dark. And then I don't know if it was Tom DeFalco, it was pretty much saying it's like some broad fighting Spider-Man. No way. Yes, okay.

Badr 24:35

I do remember that. And I think it just goes back to what C was saying to like dive into the uh the trivia, the Easter eggs, and all the history of the black suit would be its own episode. I know that's crazy. I I know um like John, like it you could tie it to John Byrne because I think he's he was supposed to be Iron Fist.

Ed 24:49

Yeah, he wanted a suit that because Iron Fist suits got cut off by swords and shit. Right.

Badr 24:53

This was supposed to be like a self-healing magic suit. And then um I know that like a a um uh a Marvel fanboy sold the idea of the black suit to uh shooter, like 220 bucks, and then Ron Friends was gonna use it, but he got the young man was Glen Danzig. So it it's definitely been passed around as far as like who did what with what aspect. Like you could literally break it down by by different aspects. Um but but I wanted to ask, Ashley, because now uh you know we have this tradition where we've we we'll let you lead in answer to this pivotal question. Oh um, Ashley, did this comic book respect your time?

Ashley 25:27

Oh it it did. I've never read Old Spider-Man before.

Ed 25:30

But this looks really you haven't watched Batman the animated series or read Spider-Man.

Ashley 25:34

No, I've read I've read newer Spider-Man, like last like 10 years, Spider-Man. But no, I I liked it a lot. Um I didn't realize Peter Parker was so muscley.

Ed 25:42

He is like shirtless, yeah, dude. There's something for the ladies in this episode, for sure. For sure. That guy's he's like, and he's not like even slender, he's like pretty muscular.

Cesar 25:56

There's something for everybody in here, guys. Yeah, like you know what's funny you mentioned that, like, and you and I know you mentioned like MJ like kind of being drawn as like a sex pot, and this is like oh yeah, complete issue. So I I had written down something, and I don't know if maybe this will resonate with you guys. Um this is kind of like back when Marvel sort of had street cred, right? This is actually kind of an edgy issue because you gotta still like the time for the time, kids were reading this shit.

Ed 26:21

Yeah. Um, and I thought women just walked around in negligents until I was an adult. It's like, oh, this is this is pretty sweet. It doesn't look comfortable, but you know, if they just sleep in that stuff.

Ashley 26:32

And then when you got sad, they just took their shirt off.

Ed 26:34

Right. Oh my god. Okay, hold on, hold on. Hold on. We'll get let me say what I'm gonna say.

Cesar 26:40

Well, what I wanted to say was that uh it seemed like Todd uh McFarland and David uh wanted to tell a crime story more than anything else, not typically a Spider-Man story, and I don't think you could do this with any Spider-Man bad guy except for Venom. Yeah, because this is more or less um just the idea and the way that Venom harasses Peter Parker, it's the same way that Max Cady does in The Executioners. Um and it's and it starts in this issue. And if you aren't familiar with uh John D. McDonald's crime novel, his Seminole Stock Manifesto, if you will, uh I recommend it under the film adaptation of Cape Fear, if you guys have seen Cape Fear. This is essentially Cape Fear the comic with a uh a McFarlane drawing uh MJ like a femme fatale, and Peter kind of in the role of the Wodun It protagonist, right? That's why he's so jacked. He's not like the nebbish little skinny boy anymore. He's a fucking Sam Spade, like it was Claudia outside, and I took the job. Like he's one of those characters in this, you know. The gritty streets of New York is the uh the backdrop. So it's no surprise that this is like one of the quintessential Spider-Man issues, right? Yeah.

Badr 27:48

Um he still has that kind of like woe is me. For sure, for sure. See, that was really well said. I wanted to mention that I am I thought you were like, see, that was really well said. Don't you ever, ever upstage me again. 300 episodes you haven't learned. Well, I wanted to mention that um I am $10,000 in debt to Ben at Gotham, and he said he would uh break my legs if I don't play this real quick.

Skit 28:14

Yeah, so this is where I pick up my comments. Excuse me, might I remind you the rules here at No Touch Collectibles? No loitering, no friendship, no touching the merchandise of their gloves, and no free bags and boards.

Badr 28:26

Yeah, man, I know the shop sucks. I don't I don't even know why I shop here.

Skit 28:29

Well, we could go to Jacksonville Premier Location for comic books, collectibles, toys, and um, you okay? You got 10% of comic books, 20% of fact covers, 10% of figures every fact is practically criminal.

Cesar 28:53

And that's why Golden City Limit is a place of people.

Badr 28:58

How many times have you watched the Batman trilogy? I'm ashamed to say. Well, I mean they're not bad.

Skit 29:03

One time for every time the Joker has taken the city hostage.

Badr 29:07

Are you done with that?

Skit 29:09

Yeah. I'm done.

Badr 29:10

Well, let's just go take our business there.

Skit 29:13

Golden City Limit. It's the comic book shop, Jack deserved.

Badr 29:16

But not the one. Alright, alright. I get it. It's a great shop. Let's just go. Okay, and we're back. Ed, let me go to you real quick. What is your familiarity with the story? I I'm assuming you you've read it before, and this is what, probably your maybe second, third time reading it.

Ed 29:32

It's been a while because I think I didn't really read any of the McFarlane stuff until he had his own series. You know, this is I wasn't really reading, you know, I was, you know, I wasn't really reading, especially, well, damn, especially back then, but I think I may have read it, but it's it never really I was never really like a Venom fan, you know. So I never it was nothing I really seeked out. I seeked out more of the Todd McFarlane solo stuff. So I honestly don't remember reading this until recently. Okay. So it's like so and then like I said, it's much easier to do now. Just on you know, can find it online.

Badr 30:08

But yeah. Ashley, I know that uh I think a few episodes ago, one of the most blasphemous things you said was that uh was that you were not um you were not a fan of Spider-Man per se because you had just never you know cared to to get into the character. This is your first time reading this this issue and and and Venom's origin, period, right?

Ashley 30:28

Yeah, yeah, it was.

Badr 30:29

And I guess what what was the good, the bad, and the ugly for you?

Ashley 30:32

It was just so like dramatic and like like soap operay, and I guess that's how like the old comics are. Um and the way that it was drawn, just like her being like the supermodel with like just her hair and her eyes, and it's definitely different than what I'm used to, but it was it was fun. I mean, I would go back and read these just for the fun of it.

Ed 30:51

Yeah, and it's like this is like the beginning of McFarland's style, so you can kind of see what's coming up, you know.

Cesar 30:57

This is straight out of an actual crime pulp story, which is where you get all these elements. Like you'll notice in the beginning of the comic, like MJ is dressed like a femme fatale would be in one of these stories that were Come on in, honey. And like there's the private investigator who's like exactly, exactly. The rain was coming down like absolutely and then at the end, though, when the story is you know semi-resolved, um, you'll notice she's dressed a little more conservatively because she no longer fits that role in the story anymore. There's resolution, and uh Spider-Man is not like jacked anymore. You don't see him taking his shirt off anything. Um he's back to his traditional costume, it's old fashioned. Like there's the resolution of the mystery, right? Everything is back in order. This darkness that was introduced into the story is now thrown away, and we're we're back, baby. It's Spider-Man, he's you know, Peter Parker. I like you remember him. Exactly, exactly. And like I said, only Venom could you do this with. And that's why I think a lot of the movies where they try to shoehorn Venom in, they don't get it right because they're not doing the right story. They need to do a Cape Fear type story where like part of what makes Venom scary is that it's not the ah, I got teeth, I punch you now. It's the I'm I'm just hey buddy, what's up? I'm not doing anything illegal, yeah, but I'm harassing you. Well, like, get away from me. What am I doing wrong? Go ahead, go tell the cops, go tell them, tell them I'm doing something wrong. And then he then he morphs into a fucking cop uniform. He's like, I'm everywhere, and then walks away. Like, brilliant. So I don't know. I I I really like this issue a whole lot. Um it's it's it's crazy how self-contained it is, considering it's a Marvel story, right? Like they could have just been like left at a cliffhanger, but they didn't, like they wrapped it up.

Badr 32:42

You've almost kind of got to look at this as part of a larger uh I mean, literally a part of a larger saga, the saga of the symbio uh costume. Right. I think it stands out. I'm sorry, I think it stands alone on its own as a single issue. I mean it's a 300th issue.

Ed 32:56

And that's why I think the exposition works in this issue. Right. It's like who's Eddie Brock? You know, even though it's kind of awkward, like in the middle of a fight scene, he just moved on. Big time, big time. That was probably my my guns.

Badr 33:07

Yeah, I think that was my biggest gripe was overtelling not showing. I mean, they could have easily just shown some flashback panels.

Cesar 33:15

But let's also remember in this comic, but he murders a cop. Yeah. Venom actually, like how many times-year-old-faced cop. Can you think really weird-looking? How many times can you remember where a Spider-Man bad guy straight up murks a just kills somebody in a panel, and you're looking at it like he died. Like and Venom's not-silling.

Ed 33:37

No, yeah, but you're like, Holy shit, he killed somebody. Like he's just like uh, you know, uh needed to have them. And the symbiote's very theatrical, wanting to plot his death at the church that he needed him.

Badr 33:48

And and what's cool is that I think I think sometimes we we forget Catholics, man.

Ed 33:53

I think the symbiote's Catholic.

Badr 33:55

I think it's overlooked. That symbio ends up um and that's what I'm saying is if you if you caught if you read all the previous issues that lead up to this, like Secret Wars 8, where he, you know, Spider-Man gets that first black costume. I think um Amazing Spider-Man 252 is the first appearance of him in that full costume in the full series. And then there's a bunch of issues afterwards, like 258 is where he um uh separates himself from the costume after learning um, oh, it's it's alive, it's it's sentient. This is actually alive?

Ed 34:22

Yeah, it's weird that he was surprised that it's a living thing.

Badr 34:25

Yeah, but it's like Wayne Campbell's girlfriend from Wayne's World, like his ex, you know. But like I said, I think this issue stands. This is like two Jilts exes teaming up to go after him.

Ed 34:36

That enhances how creepy this is because you've already that's how he finds out he's Peter Parker is through the symbiote, right? Yeah, absorb. Okay. You know, if you don't play your cards right, Wayne, you're gonna lose me.

Badr 34:46

Psycho. But there's a lot of pieces to this prior to three. I think 300 is is the cake topper. Um, but I think you really get a full story, and you really get to appreciate Eddie Brock making his appearance if you followed um Amazing Spider-Man up to that time. I mean, um, there was even some cameos in like Web of Spider-Man number one with that iconic Charles Vest cover. Talk dirty to me.

Ed 35:10

Or the handle talk dirty to me. The handle that's Charles Vest.

Badr 35:13

Yeah, well, yeah, there's a bunch of um uh small off-panel cameos where it's Eddie Brock, clearly Venom, pushing Spider-Man and just fucking with him like the whole time.

Cesar 35:22

Shout out to Charles Vest.

Badr 35:24

Yo, big time. Like Web of Spider-Man number one is all about him uh finally, I think, defeating the uh um he uses uh Reed Richards Sonic gun, they they encapsulate it, and then later on issues, he's just web swing along the way, and you know, he's getting shoved. He's at a train station at Speeder Parker. Someone shoves him and he doesn't know who it is. Yeah, and then um you start seeing like they start slowly revealing, like I think in 298, you get you know, um, there's uh uh one page where it's like Eddie Brock slamming his fist a few times, and every panel is the symbiote slowly covering it. Yeah, and then in 298, you get kind of like that full kind of page appearance, and then 300 you get the backstory and all that. So 300 to me, like I said, for for a big annual kind of issue, it it works, it's good, but I think you've got to um you've got to have read like you have to account for those other lead ups to really get that full impact and that full story and really understand, like, damn, yeah, it only enhances how creepy and the tone that and even just the backstory behind the scenes about the black, the controversy behind just having the black suit, right?

Ed 36:29

You know, and then it's like it's and you were talking earlier about him just being like a mirror to him. And then they just I don't know, did the last hunt was before this, right? Craven's last hunt, yeah, because he was still on the black suit. Yeah, so he's using the black suit, kind of imitating him. Yeah, so it's they didn't quite mirror that.

Cesar 36:47

I was about to say that this is the exact same thing, right? So like I've had a conversation with one of my best friends about superheroes where like you go into the arch enemy and the antithesis, and they're two different things, right? So like Batman's arch enemy is the Joker, but his antithesis is Bane, right? Because they're both kind of the same except just a little shove into another direction, and they're essentially looking at each other from opposite ends of the mirror, right? So you have Spider-Man's arch enemy would probably be the Green Goblin, right? Like Norman Osborne has made his life a living hell on the left at the level of the Joker for Batman.

Ed 37:23

That's pretty cool. That's true. It's true. Help him move.

Cesar 37:26

Um, but the antithesis is is venom. Like Spider-Man's antithesis is venom, like they're both journalists, yeah. They both are like essentially like Spider-Man was a nerd, but Eddie Brock was like a bro dude who worked at like TMZ, right?

Ed 37:43

His house is just a gym.

Cesar 37:45

Yes, there's no other furnace. So like they have the same costume, they look the same. Spider-Man doesn't have a mouth because you know, thematically, anybody could be Spider-Man. As soon as you start personalizing it, then you take the ability of the hero to be passed from anybody, right? Like Eddie Brock specifically has a mouth because it's like nah no one else can be me being.

Ed 38:04

This is a creepier mouth than I think even the teeth. Yeah, I like I like the regular human teeth better.

Cesar 38:08

Yes.

Ed 38:08

I don't want like sharp teeth, like ugh, scary. Yeah, the for the tongue and the sharp teeth and stuff like that.

Badr 38:13

Even like uh yeah, that's that's a good point. Because I feel like the tongue and the teeth that later became popular. Exactly. And it's almost like too easy. It's like okay, yeah. It's on the nose, is what it is.

Cesar 38:23

Like it's real on the nose.

Ed 38:25

He's a total like 90s character, though. For sure. The edgy, because they he basically became so popular they made him into like an anti-hero.

Cesar 38:33

Right, right. But vigilant. There's no redeeming quality. No, like he has no redeeming quality, which works so well, and it's something you really kind of don't see in a Spider-Man bad guy. I think they messed up making him uh Venom Lethal Protector later on, where it was like, oh man, like Yeah, it's just one of those things that's like they come too popular.

Ed 38:51

It's almost kind of like the Punisher where it became too popular that he's definitely gotta change, we gotta turn him, you know.

Cesar 38:56

He could have been a saber tooth, you know, like the equivalent to sabretooth as far as Wolverine is concerned.

Badr 39:00

But Ashley, is there a uh particular panel page or moment in this comic book that maybe resonated with you personally or just visually was striking for you?

Ashley 39:09

I just the way that it started out, like I was not expecting that. Just like her and just in the corner, just like terrified looking. Like I really did not think that the comic was gonna start out like that. And it kind of set the mood. So that was like that one, just the first thing you look at, you're like, oh god, what am I in for? Um and then the one panel where he's uh like smothering the police officer with like the symbiote, and he's got like that super arched, like it looks like he snapped a spine, very dynamic like super dynamic pose. Um those two, definitely.

Cesar 39:44

Damn, oh my god. It's like a 90s like crime drama, which by the way, guys, Lawner, SPU. If you aren't on a hop on that shit becomes before it comes mainstream, all right.

Badr 39:56

Um so it's it's not breaking news that I think we're all fans uh of the Todd Father. Hell, I mean, we dedicated a whole episode to him back in episode 255. Thank you, Butter. I was about to ask what episode that was. Uh he was the seventh artist spotlight episode we done we did following Bernie Wrightson. Uh but I wanted to know what what exactly remind our listeners who might have not heard that Artist Spotlight, um, and Ed, I'll look to you for this one. What exactly is it about Todd McFarland's style or body of work? When's your admiration for him?

Ed 40:22

It's I think he transcends his work, I think. Just just the the figure he's become, just because he basically was uh you know, started as a hot shot artist, was super successful, could have just stayed at Marvel his whole career. He could have been a lifer at Marvel, but he you know, he just basically he's just just his looking at you, Junior Jr. Yeah, just he's just so like he basically left a really well-paying gig. He was already a millionaire, you know, drawing Spider-Man because that's when comics were on fire. And then he took the biggest gamble, basically drafted and he it's funny because he'll say, I conned, I mean, got these other artists to basically you know defect for Marvel to start this company. And sure, he's just more than an artist, you know. He's like one of those guys that just transcends. He's got a cult of personality, he's and he's like he's a character, and he's always in character, and he's and you know, like him or not, he's very, you know, like the people love him or hate him.

Cesar 41:17

He was born to be the face of a company. Yeah, can I get his money?

Ed 41:20

He basically started as an artist and basically created an empire created and is still running like the most successful independent you know publisher out there.

Cesar 41:29

Big Ups Canada.

Ed 41:30

Yeah, so it's he's and I've always liked his style. I think I first saw his work, it was it might have been the Wolverine Hulk that he did.

Cesar 41:39

Right.

Ed 41:39

And it's just like his stuff was so different.

Cesar 41:42

It was John Byrne turned up to 11.

Ed 41:44

Yeah, and they were going away from that house style. You know, you could see like, okay, they're letting artists be more, you know, show more characteristics. For sure. For sure, yeah.

Cesar 41:52

Like it's it's nice. Actually, being our resident image like aficionado.

Badr 41:57

Could you yeah, I was right?

Cesar 41:58

Like, could you see some of like the things yet to come in this comic regarding Todd McFarland's work at Image, or even some of the artists now are doing stuff at Image.

Ashley 42:10

Yeah, I guess I could. You know what's funny is like I for some reason I've like never been a fan of him, but like this this ris makes me respect him um and like seeing the work that he's done. But yeah, I think he was he was gonna start Image. You know what I mean? It just makes sense, like turn, you know, start this huge thing.

Badr 42:28

I I will go ahead and and say that you know, with this being I I think I you know, I mentioned it that this was his first issue that he was inking his own stuff, at least on Spider-Man. The best is yet to come. I think uh because I kind of fast forward it because he stays on for Amazing Spider-Man for a few more issues. Hell he stays on up until um well after Venom returns, because Venom returns back in Amazing Spider-Man uh in 315. There's that three uh three-part version.

Cesar 42:51

Such a good story. Do we always talk about it?

Badr 42:53

Maybe even better than this, to be honest, because it's such a good standalone. That's where he harasses you know, Aunt May. He challenges Spider-Man. Within the bounds of the law. Yes, he challenges Spider-Man uh uh to a to a duel on that island. It is so good. I think it's 315 through 318.

Cesar 43:05

And the Fantastic Four comeback.

Badr 43:07

Yeah. Um, but his art gets so much better, and I know he stays inking his stuff well into those. Right. So um, and that was my my not even really a gripe to be honest. It's really cool to see, okay, this is kind of rough because there is a panel that that made me kind of double take, and it was um Yeah, there's some strange stuff going on. Yeah, well, in particular, it's uh this one right here. Like I said, if you've got the Marvel app um uh opened up, it's page 25. But the way he draws, like it's it's really heavy-handed inking, you know. It's like, damn, that's that don't even look like inking. It looks like he's half black. But it it it's cool too if you were to follow along, he gets so much better at his inking and he really refines.

Ed 43:49

No, it is. If you see, like, and you can even just for another artist, go back and look at like the first couple issues of Savage Dragon, where Eric Larson inks, sure, it's horrifying looking, you know, compared to. What he can do. This looks like he just took a Sharpie and just inked it.

Cesar 44:03

That's but that's a testament to the kind of story they're telling, too, Butter. Is that this is a noir, this is Spider-Man Noir essentially before it came out.

Ed 44:11

There's some like my some one of my gripes artistically. Todd McFarlane can draw buildings, right? Would you agree? Okay. But there's some panels. Oh, I know what you're gonna say. And I don't know if it just pops out more because I read it online. No, I know. Yeah, I'm about to say the same. So it's like there's like these photocopied things of the city, especially in that last page. If that last page was all hand-drawn, damn it. Beautiful. Brilliant. But like you could tell, like it's like, damn, it could be another time this. Yeah, but it's weird because there's panels where he is drawing buildings in perspective, but then they photocopy this and it's like and with his style, it that I mean, I don't photo that's a common thing in comics, right? But it doesn't fit his style. If it was like a David Ajah, you know, Hawkeye, that fits. You can photocopy the backgrounds, but with someone as dynamic as an artist as him, it's like it just it's it's kind of jarring, and it probably on newsprint it doesn't pop out as much, you know, if it was reading the original comic. But in the in the uh reading it online and being able to kind of zoom in, and it's just like it's a good thing.

Cesar 45:13

I have I have a strange I have a hypothesis about that. Tom DeFalco was the editor in chief at the time, and um no disrespect to him because like I said, I remember reading Spider-Man and other Marvel titles as a kid and kind of looking not looking up to, but like he was a familiar name when you're gonna be like, You saw his name on the front of everybody. Yeah, the bullpen. Um but the idea is that Tom DeFalco was notorious for like deadline issues. Yeah. Deadline issues were a big deal, and it's a kind of like what he was like, like they're like, yo, you never make fucking deadline. McFarlane can be slow. And and the idea was like, well, you guys keep changing the production schedules, is what he would say. Yeah. So it could be that the release date for this may have got bumped up to where maybe if Todd McFarlane really wanted to noodle and create a cityscape.

Ed 46:02

And he did draw the two previous issues. Right.

Cesar 46:04

So they they could have been like And he's inking too. Right. Like, hey, yo, chop chop, buddy. Like, this shit's due tomorrow. What? Uh are you fucking kidding me? I still got a whole city to draw.

Ed 46:13

And I'm not, this is not a lot of it. No, it's stuck out. No, it's stuck out. It's just so it's kind of jarring, especially you're reading it digitally. It's like right.

Badr 46:20

You could tell it's jarring.

Ed 46:21

Yeah.

Badr 46:21

One of my favorite things about aspects about early uh Venom and Ur Eddie Brock is that they really played into how thick his eyebrows were. One, his broke his already broken psyche ego. I mean, he even says, you know, I was on basically on the point of like depression and then kill himself.

Cesar 46:39

And he knew it was a mortal sin as a Catholic. He was still going to do it.

Badr 46:42

I love when they play around with allowing him to change his costume. Because one of my favorite panels are just kind of scenes in this whole book is when Spider-Man is tied to a giant church church belly. Oh, yeah.

Ed 46:54

Yeah, and it's like it's So that is the Venom suit. It was kind of confusing at first.

Cesar 46:58

And it's interesting because like a priest's cassock is black and white, and Venom's costume is black and white.

Ed 47:04

And what a weird thought of Nicolas Cage and face off. It's grabbing that girl's ass in the choir. Honestly, though, it's such a dark.

Cesar 47:12

Dude, how it's such a dark like pull from like something a villain would do. Even a fucking Edgar Allen Poe villain would do. It's so Poe in nature to have like very theatrical. Yeah, very dramatic sort of revenge, like the cask of a month.

Badr 47:25

We can't just kill him. Yeah. And then to get smarter, you know, absolutely get like, you know, absolutely crushed by this bell.

Cesar 47:32

Yo, don't ever make an artist mad, ever.

Badr 47:35

Ever. Actually, we're good, right? And I'm good. I got pictures of Rufio on the way. Don't worry. And I'm probably giving this way too much props, but I love the way Spider-Man out thinks, you know, the situation of like, let me use the momentum of the swinging uh bell to break free of that.

Cesar 47:51

That's something that the cartoon and subsequent things afterwards do better, where like they use the church bell gongs, the sound of that, to drive the symbiote crazy, where he's like, ah, it hurts so much.

Ed 48:04

You know, like what did you think about this? Like here we go. The right was the writer like an amateur photographer. Dude, like, hey Mary Jane, I gotta get my SLR, babe. I'll come back. Standard Linux. And they and they put the little like what it's good for. You know what's funny? You just think I'm getting my camera? I like what and I only got 36 exposures, and uh I don't know if I can do this. Like, what the f bro, we get it. You'd know how to use a camera. Like, you'd figure it looks like that. Like, okay, so that's Tony. Does he do that? Since we're talking, hold on.

Cesar 48:36

Since we're talking, since we're talking, I think I think something needs to be addressed. There is a penis joke in this comic.

Ed 48:44

Oh boy. After the Austin Powers thing. You're a tiger baby. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sexy.

Cesar 48:49

After the fucking fucking to take off her shirt. Yeah. There's a there's a box bubble that says slowly Peter's spirits begin to rise. There's and I and I read that and I was like, she's just right. That's a daddy as dad joke. Yeah.

Badr 49:10

I was like, oh man, there was.

Ed 49:12

Can they say that? Well, it's innuendo, but you know what? Tommy broke. Shout out to my boy Tom. When Mary Jane wakes up and just lingerie. I'd like to. It's like, I already know what I want for breakfast. It's like, oh my god. I was like, Peter, calm down. I mean, his name's Peter. What do you want? Yes. It's like, oh, I'm so bummed. I can't take pictures of pretty ladies. How about something for our private collection? Oh. And speaking of like dad jokes, there's like a lot of I keep going back to this moving scene of the stuff. Fucking penis Parker. There's a lot of dad jeans, which I learned that term from you, Ashley. Back in the day. A lot of t-shirts tucked into jeans. Oh, for sure. It was the 90s with the belt. It was like 80s.

Cesar 49:58

80. This was like the early 90s. You get that receptive belt bucket. 80s like hair, like and all that like fashion shit left over.

Ed 50:06

Oh, so funny. It wasn't going anywhere. And I know like that's part of McFarlane's he wanted to update the look of the character, but sometimes that really dates the looks of the characters too.

Badr 50:15

Sure, sure. See, I had a question for you because you were one of my favorite uh people to chat Spider-Man with. Do you consider this essential Spider-Man reading? And if not, where does it stand in your pantheon of Spider-Man stories slash crossovers?

Cesar 50:28

No, of course it does. Of course it's good Spider-Man reading. Is this could should be should it be considered like something that transcends Spider-Man or something that, like, whoa, if you're a fan, you need to read this.

Ed 50:39

It's a milestone issue. Absolutely.

Cesar 50:41

Absolutely. Because it it does something that no no other Spider-Man story really does, and that's Spider-Man's known for like street level bad guys that could aspire to world domination, but they hate him so much that their own hatred keeps them from going beyond like, ah, fuck you, Spider-Man. Yeah, they could they could all team up and then just completely dominate the world if they wanted to. Doc Ock is smart enough. He's not less smarter than Doctor Doom, you know, but they fucking hate Spider-Man. And thematically, that's kind of the point of Spider-Man. The idea that there's all these people. Life is never gonna give you a fucking break, but you have to like persevere. And there's always gonna be haters out there that fucking try and tell you like you can't do that because they themselves supermodel.

Ed 51:30

That's pretty sweet. At this point, at this point, right? Like that's cute, Spider-Man.

Cesar 51:34

That's kind of a oh shit. Well, Ed just became a Spider-Man villain because he's a hater.

Ed 51:38

Venom. Venom. You gotta go with a fellow Ed. No, I gotta hang with him. Gotta back him up.

Badr 51:46

If I ever need encouragement or motivation for the gym, I do think about Eddie Brock's uh pumping iron. Oh jump my sweat on broom.

Cesar 51:53

Dude, there's nothing cooler than to have a fucking symbiote spot your ass at the gym. Oh my god. You're doing like like bench press is doing I fucking can't do it. And like the symbiote's like, you got it, man. You fucking got it, man. You can do this. One more, man. Come on, one more.

Badr 52:09

So I I will admit that I completely forgot, or I just did not know at all, that the name I like how they incorporate the name Venom. Ed Brock's like, I go by venom because of the venom I was spewing writing.

Ed 52:20

Venomous articles.

Badr 52:23

Like, get this corny shit out of here.

Cesar 52:25

This is super corny. Um but like it's also something that makes sense, right? No, big time, big time. Like, what do they say that? It was kind of cool in a way. What do they say? Uh bitterness is the it's like bitterness and unforgiveness is the poison that you drink and expect other people to get sick from. Yeah. Right? Like that's that's the idea.

Badr 52:43

That's why he exists. Um, Ed, question for you. And and I want C to chime in and Ashley chime in where you can. Uh who is your favorite Spider-Man artist? Oh boy. Yeah, take that. Speechless. Damn it. Bodder Milligan, host of the year. Yeah, I'll go ahead and give some of mine. I'll give some of mine. I'll give some of mine. 300th episode. I know. I'll go ahead with some of mine because I think Todd McFarland is definitely up there. I think he his Spider-Man is so iconic and he made it his own. I like Mark Bagley a lot. Yo, Mark Bagley is probably my number one because of my nostalgia and close. It's a really cool Spider-Man. Yeah. Um I will also add, only because I I was looking back through the web of Spider-Man stuff, Charles Vest paints or you know, draws, paints, whatever it is, a amazing fine artist, turn comic book artist. Yes, you know. I'll also throw John Ramita, both senior and junior. Bro, you can't pick like five million of them. Pick one. Well, what's your favorite? Mark Bagley, but run around. No, no, no, no runner up.

Cesar 53:42

Number one, because you're making us pick number one.

Ed 53:44

Just from give me your uh top three.

Badr 53:46

Thanks for Mark Bagley.

Ed 53:47

Charles Best is up to the first one. Just from running had the most, I guess, impact on me as a kid. I have to say Todd McFarland. I have to say he's probably my number one for what I because like I don't read a ton of Spider-Man stuff.

Cesar 53:57

Okay. If I'm being completely honest, I would say what I grew up with was Mark Bagley and Junior Jr. Um and I was a huge Spider-Man reader. Like I still have my Spider-Man 30th anniversary poster junior from the 90s. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um and his Travinski run is oh dude. I was about to say, like, it's a shame that Junior Jr. came on at the time of the clone saga, like legitimately penciling Spider-Man consistently during the 90s. Which sucks because he that's how people remember his. This is a shit sandwich to draw. Right?

Ed 54:32

There you go.

Cesar 54:32

You know what I'm saying? Make this good. But but as like as a man looking back, I have to say, John Romita, dude, they're they're not dated. Like you can look at those comics and they're so cool. Like you're like, oh my gosh, like there's a cartooniness. You like you like cartooniness in comics? John Ramita's got you.

Ashley 54:50

Well, I was just looking, like, I was just looking at all these images of Spider-Man, just scrolling through and like clicking on the ones that I remember, um, and they were all John Ramita Sr. Right. Oh, that's awesome.

Cesar 55:00

Right. Cool. So wait, like, do you like Ryan Otley?

Ashley 55:04

Yeah. Yeah.

Cesar 55:05

What yeah, he's kind of like, eh, right? Yeah.

Ashley 55:08

What?

Cesar 55:08

Have you seen his Spider-Man stuff?

Ashley 55:10

No, I haven't.

Cesar 55:10

It's not bad. No, it's like I read Haunt. That's my that Haunt was my first experience of Ryan Otley. And I was kind of like, okay, Todd McFarland kind of rubbed his stank on a little bit too, right? Like he's like, you know, you gotta have Todd. I think I think. Okay. No, it's a Kirkman joint.

Ed 55:26

Oh, Kirkman, okay. It's a Kirkman joint.

Cesar 55:28

And it was McFarlane was doing inks and Ryan Otley was doing the pencils. And I was kind of like, eh, okay. But when Ryan Otley got on board with Spider-Man, it's so much fun to read. And I I highly recommend his run. Is Nick Spencer the writer? So Nick Spencer's the writer, Ryan Otley's the artist, and I think you might enjoy it because it feels like an image book. Yeah. But you get like the melodrama and the humor and the I'll get you ness of Spider-Man, which is really, really nice.

Ashley 55:56

That's I like Nick Spencer too. That change my video.

Cesar 55:58

You convinced me.

Ed 55:59

Yeah.

Cesar 56:00

Change, you're right.

Badr 56:02

Dude, I can fucking sell Spider-Man. So it sounds like uh uh officially, because I think anytime that we all agree on one particular topic, we can go ahead and add it to the short box hall of fame. So it's not it sounds safe to say the short box hall of fame best Spider-Man artist is John Ramada Sr. Is that safe to say? I would say for me. No, for me. I'd like to do that.

Ed 56:20

I think we know that's too iconic.

Badr 56:21

I can't say gavel, bang, bang, bang, John Ramada Sr.

Cesar 56:26

Oh my god, man. Spider-Man is directly responsible for me getting married to Sarah, man. Because without me being Spider-Man was like how I got into comics, like pre-Batman. Like I didn't have any Batman comics, but Spider-Man was my guy. And because I was a little fucking nerd, the idea of cracking jokes while somebody's trying to kill you. Right. It's like, oh my god, this is that guy. And I got into Spider-Man hardcore, and I never, like, never ever not like Spider-Man so much. Then when I met Butter, I found out that was his fucking favorite dude. And we cultivated a friendship and we fucking basically he brought me onto this show. Sarah heard the show before she met me in person, so she knew what I sounded like. We met as a result of all of us meeting from the podcast at Kickbacks. The short box is directly responsible for me meeting my wife. One thing leads to another. We're married, blah, blah, blah. Thank you, fucking Spider-Man. Wow. Yo, happy 300, everyone.

Badr 57:22

Bam! I think we're at a good stopping point. I will say our next comic spotlight episode will be a comic chosen by this month's birthday boy, our very own Cesar Corder. Oh shit. Um, have you finalized your pick yet? Do you need me to? Yes. Yes. Like right now? Not right now. I uh do any comfortable. No, I got it. Oh. Oh, do you want to make the announcement? Yeah, I can tell you right now. What's it? Ready? It's surprise. Shocker, guys. Shocker.

Cesar 57:47

Something. Mad Love by Bruce Tim. Oh, oh, cool. I actually have it.

Ashley 57:52

Nice.

Cesar 57:53

Yeah, it's one issue. Okay. And it's a really good Batman issue. And without it, you don't get Curse of the White Knight or White Knight. Okay. Because it's the first Harley Batman Joker trilogy, like triangle story.

Badr 58:06

I like that. Alright, that's a good one. So that'll be our next um homework assignment. Um, after that one, we'll look to our true believer tier patrons to help us select the following episodes homework and spotlight.

Cesar 58:17

And also you could just watch the episode on the animated series. It's the same thing.

Ed 58:20

I probably don't. Okay.

Badr 58:22

So if you're um so if you're listening and you want to make a suggestion for a future episode, consider becoming a patron. Patreon.com slash the short box has all the information you need. Since this is a special occasion, in lieu of our normal music break, uh, we've got some more friends calling in, so we'll hear from them first and uh we'll get right back. We got some emails to read. Uh, I want to go ahead and thank um the patrons who voted on Amazing Spider-Man 300. Thank you for your money. Yeah, exactly. And helped us uh select uh uh today's topic. Let's go ahead and play these voicemails and then uh we'll be right back. So stay tuned.

SBX Hotline 58:54

You have reached the short box hotline. No one is available to take your call. Leave a message and keep it geeky.

Drew 59:01

Short box. Anyways, 300 episodes. Not my 300 episode, obviously, because no, like I dropped the ball off. But anyways, 300 episodes, but I'm gonna bask in the glory, basket. Anyways, I couldn't remember if you said it was Tuesday. I think you said it was Tuesday. Tuesday we're gonna be recording. Um, yeah, so I got you. I took off the work. I'm gonna be there. So I feel like uh the dude that just joined the successful basketball team, and like he's the win championship. So, like, you know, made it. All right, man. Well, I'll see you Friday. We'll talk later. Bye.

Speaker 26 59:33

What up, nerds? This is Bob from Straight Chilling Podcast Horror Movie Review. Uh I wanted to call in and congratulate the short box crew on reaching their landmark 300th episode. What an achievement that is. You guys do fantastic work, and you've been doing it year after year. It's been a real pleasure knowing you guys. It's been a pleasure working with you guys, and I look forward to working with you guys some more in the future. Keep putting on for the comic book nerds across the land, and as always, keep chilling. Talk to you all later.

Bob 1:00:05

2013, episode 33. A Guy's Girls Guide to Turtle Soup. That was my first introduction to the short box when I was invited by Ryan from GAM to show up to some random guy's house to record a podcast in the spare room. Doesn't sound shady at all, does it? Now, flash forward seven years and 267 episodes later, that random guy, along with his incredible team, now records ten feet away from me every Sunday while I try not to curse out the Jags so loud you can hear it in the background of their recordings. All jokes aside, congrats on 300 and know this is just one of the many milestones you guys all have ahead of you.

Chris Jojola 1:00:48

What up, Short Box Nation? It's Chris Holola, aka Jojo. I helped co-host alongside Adam and Ed during the Golden Era of the podcast. I just wanted to make a shout out to Bodder, Ed, Cesar, and Ashley for all the hard work and dedication you put into the cast. 300 episodes is truly a milestone, and you all should be proud. Thanks for the insight, the reviews, the recommendations, the laughs, and above all else, the friendship. Here's the 300 more. Cheers.

Warren Evans 1:01:15

Yo, Shortbox Crew. It's your boy Warren, aka Bart of Darkness, and I just want to say congratulations on this monumental moment in the show, your 300th episode. 300 episodes. It's insane. We've laughed, we've cried, we've hated Cesar, we've loved Cesar, and everything in between. So I guess what I'm really trying to say is I'm just really proud of you guys. Keep up the great work. And I love you. See you later.

Mega Ran 1:01:47

Yo, what's going on? This is Megaran. Just wanted to show some love for the short box, one of my favorite podcasts. Happy to say I've had the pleasure to be on a couple times, but man, I remember being on the road, just like literally ripping down the highway just to make it on time to pop in for an episode before a show in Jacksonville. And y'all always show love. It's always great vibes, great conversation. And also know how to have a good time, how to conduct interviews, how to not ask the same questions 700 times. Uh, but yeah, man, I'm a huge fan of short box. And here's to like 7,000 more episodes. With Megaran appearing on at least, I should say, five of the next 7,000. That's really doable, right? Alright, y'all. Peace and love.

Ed 1:02:30

I'm out.

Ashley 1:02:31

I had someone come up to me at the comic shop and they're like, I'm really good friends with Bader. I was like, are you?

Ed 1:02:36

You're obviously not.

Ashley 1:02:37

Arya?

Cesar 1:02:38

You're obviously not the friends of Fader.

Ashley 1:02:41

I wish I could remember who it was.

Cesar 1:02:43

Uh actually that was me. And thank you for uh blowing up my spot on the show.

Badr 1:02:48

I wish you would have like hit him back with Arya, do you do a podcast with them every Sunday? I guess not. That'll be 1117. Does he make fun of your scarf? I don't think so. All right. I was gonna wait until um uh C stopped stuffing his face with chips and ready cheese. Special, I'm ready. Getting blue cheese all over the wit. I will admit he got it away from the mic, so that that doesn't work. Um, does everyone have their refill of drinks?

Cesar 1:03:20

That is the problem.

Ed 1:03:22

I don't see the problem. Cheers. Happy 300 for the 17th of the day. Oh, Ashley Straight Edge over here.

Cesar 1:03:28

I know, fucking Ian Mackay chilling out. Fugazi.

Ed 1:03:34

All right.

Skit 1:03:35

XXX Ashley. Lanny Hoy XXX.

Badr 1:03:39

All right, Shorebox Nation. Um, we received some emails last week that we didn't get around to, but not for lack of trying, but because we were joined by a special guest on our last episode. True. Cesar, redemption round. Who was our guest on our last week's episode? Thank you, Bob.

Cesar 1:03:55

I believe it was Regina King.

Badr 1:03:57

Yeah. No, that's a big guess. No, it was not Regina King. Because Jim Rugg was on last week's episode. Rugman. We didn't get around to emails. Uh we spent over an hour talking about his new blacklight comic, October, 1976. If you haven't heard of that episode, I highly recommend it. So I want to get around to emails today. We got two in celebration of 300. So I'd like to go ahead and get around to those. See, are you done eating? Yes! Okay. Eating, I'm fine. All right.

Cesar 1:04:23

Drinking, I'm not. So give us our first email, please. All right, here we go. Road to 300, bitches. Whoa. From from Justin Lane30. Hello, Shortbox Nation. It is Mr. I'm Famous. Happy 300th episode, guys. This show has certainly earned everything it's received in the years from fans like me who love you guys and what you do for the nerd community and jacks. I'm grateful and proud to call myself a member of this huge geeky family. Happy 300th, guys. I love you guys from Justin. Yes. Oh, Botter, we need more cool Patreon gifts and comic events. Again, no matter what the cost, literally, just take my money. Here, take it. That's from Justin, man. That's nice, right? I appreciate the love.

Badr 1:05:11

Um, so to answer your question, Justin, about cool Patreon gifts and comic events, no matter the cost. So, as you may may have noticed, I think a few folks that are listening were probably expecting, you know, and true, you know, bodder fashion. Um, I love nostalgia. They're probably expecting a big old nostalgia fest for the 300, but that was not the case this episode.

Cesar 1:05:31

If they know you, they're expecting Guys, a ginormous bodder poster will be sent to your home. It's kind of ginormous. Yeah, eight by ten glossy headshots of yours, truly. Butter milligan. So whenever you have a nightmare, he can just look at you and tell you. What are those things called?

Ed 1:05:47

The fat heads, like you stick them on the wall? Oh, yeah, for sure.

Cesar 1:05:49

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Instead of athletes, you have just a botter looking at you like it's gonna be okay. Give me your Patreon money. It's like Modoc.

Badr 1:06:00

I wanted I wanted to say we we didn't do the whole nostalgia route because um uh we've actually got we're gonna save all that for a really cool project and uh I want to toss it to C because he is the man leading said project and and future event.

Cesar 1:06:13

Uh since this is the 300th episode, I think it is important that we essentially just drop this on you guys now. We have been trying to come up with a documentary slash expose for the short box that basically kind of covers all the funny, and it'll be it'll it'll cover people that you've seen before in the past, people that are currently here, a few faces and voices that you haven't heard in a long time. Stick around. I mean, we've got a lot of exciting things coming, and I think this documentary is just basically the the tip of the spear. We're we're we're mainly trying to push the boundaries. It's something we do here on the show, right, Bonner? Like the listeners are worth it, the audience is worth it, all of our fans are worth it, and hopefully, once this is done, this will be yet another thing that we can give to you guys and just say, here, thank you. Like, thank you so much. So just uh stay tuned and uh keep your eyes open for it.

Badr 1:07:06

So sometime in December is when you can expect that. Um, of course, uh uh Justin, uh you being a patron, you already know um that patrons will get uh first dibs at when you know when tickets will be available, when they won't happen. So uh it is a good time to be a short box patron. Justin, thank you for that email. Uh, we got one more email uh uh talking about patrons. This is another one from a good friend of ours and patron.

Cesar 1:07:30

This email is titled Undercover Nerds with a lot of like looky emojis of eyeballs. What's going on, short box fam? Big congrats on making your way to 300 episodes. Uh I got a pretty good question I'd like to run past y'all. This is from Trey Namo, okay? Who would you guys label as undercover nerds that most people wouldn't really know are really about that nerd life? Personally, I'd have to go with The Godfather himself, Method Man. Damn it, he took mine. Method Man, Mr. Meff, aka Johnny Blaze has a massive 30,000 plus comic book collection that he stores in his privately owned warehouse. He has some spectacular gem books that spotlight his impressive collection, uh, such as his near mint Hulk 181, The First Appearance of Wolverine, and of course, Fantastic Four number one. So that's my undercover nerd. What's yours? As always, short box. Uh DJ Paul is a dog. One you do not trust. You leave yo green around me, Kozo, your green gonna get lit up. You leave your drink around, believe yo drink, gon' get drunk up. You leave yo geek around me, and when she bad, she gon' get stuffed. Uh, whatever Bodder's weird sign-off is. Oh, uh, bonus points. If anyone other than Butter can name what the song came from. Best regards our hood ass Trey Namo. Yeah. Trey Namo. Trey is a fucking cool.

Badr 1:09:11

I can't believe that Trey did that shit. So Trey uh, I guess really enjoyed the last episode in the email that um C had read and uh how just utterly um corny he made whap sound. I was like, WHAP?

Cesar 1:09:26

So he's he included uh a whole hearing from a fucking 3-6 mafia song that nobody's heard in years. So that was that was that little bit of confusion. You're welcome, Trey, by the way. Yeah, it's good. Trey was like probably like, yo, I'm gonna get him with this one.

Badr 1:09:41

So I I guess let's answer his question. Who is an undercover nerd um that people wouldn't really know about?

Ed 1:09:48

Can I do another Wu-Tang guy? Yeah, Rizza? Because of all his, he's like such a big like kung fu movie nerd, you know.

Badr 1:09:55

So I was kind of I've been thinking he might branch off into other stuff. That's a good one. Ashley, what about you? You know a whole bunch of uh famous people. Yeah, who's an undercover nerd?

Ashley 1:10:04

Is um is is Titus Wulliver is he famous enough to be, yeah. I the only Twitter, the only time he ever answered me back on Twitter, um, we were talking about Savage Wolverine. Oh wow, like Frank Cho, Savage Wolverine. And he has like a whole um like a ton of like the hot toys.

Ed 1:10:20

Ooh.

Ashley 1:10:21

And yeah, we were talking about hot toys for a minute. The only time he's ever talked to me on Twitter.

Badr 1:10:25

Oh yeah. Actually, can I admit I have no idea who that is? Who is that?

Ashley 1:10:29

Um geez. He's been in so much stuff.

Cesar 1:10:31

He is his main vehicle right now is Bosch on uh Amazon. That's in like uh season seven, I think. They're either filming it or it just came out. I know him from Lost and The Transformers movie.

Ashley 1:10:43

Transformers. Okay, okay.

Cesar 1:10:45

I know exactly what you guys think. That's good. Okay, hold on. I'm about to do a high five alley oop with Ashley here, okay? Do you want do you want to co uh nerd Nicolas Cage?

Ashley 1:10:55

Oh yeah.

Cesar 1:10:56

Come on. I mean, people know that he might be a nerd, but like in our community, everybody knows he's a nerd. But like everyone knows he's he's just bad shit, crazy. He's actually well, he's actually Nicholas Coppola. Like his uncle is Francis Ford Coppola, like a famous Italian director. I'm doing Chef's Gifts uh figures right now. But he changed his name to Cage, one, because he didn't he wanted to make it on his own Steam, and two, Lou Cage is his favorite superhero. Um, aside from the ghost Aside from the Ghost Rider, of course.

Ashley 1:11:28

Everybody knows doesn't he have a ghostwriter tattoo?

Cesar 1:11:30

Yes, that they had to digitally edit out for the movie. Isn't his son? Doesn't he got a son's name is Cal L. Thank you. So Nicholas Cage, Sebastian Bach, Shaq, and I can't remember anyone else are known for having action comics number one. Sebastian Bach, really? Yeah, dude, Sebastian Bach is a huge Oh, and Jerry Seinfeld. Yeah. I'll go ahead and they're all huge Superman fans.

Ed 1:11:55

Yeah.

Badr 1:11:55

Speaking of Superman, my selection is umbody cares now. 300 episodes in that joke still doesn't get so funny. Um I'll go ahead and admit that I'll never forget the episode where Shaq was doing his uh MTV Cribs episode, and it was super he had like a Superman bed. He's a huge Superman fan. Like he got he's got the tat. Um I don't know if he rivals uh uh Jerry Seinfeld or anyone like that, but I know that um he played Steel. Yeah, Steel. Yeah, so but he's John Henry Irons, man. He is a giant, you know, no pun intended. He is a giant Superman fan.

Cesar 1:12:33

Oh, I see what you did there.

Badr 1:12:34

Steel I'll go ahead and answer. Thank you for that email, Trey. Um, I want to go say uh Corey and Tony ALP, I got your emails. I promise I'll read it next episode. Um last voicemail I'll play for this segment is a voicemail from um uh a good friend of ours, our sponsor himself, Mr. Ben Kingsbury, owner of City Limit Comic Shop. Let's hear what he's got to share this week.

Ben Kingsbury 1:12:58

Hey guys and gals, Ben Kay here from Gotham City Limit in Jacksonville, Florida, with another scheduled interruption for you. First, let me say congratulations to everyone involved in 300 episodes at the Short Box Podcast. What an accomplishment. This week, DC brings us Death Metal number four rocking our shelves, along with the doomsday clock finally being released with all 12 issues in one solid book in the trade paperback form. Marvel's Ex of Swords storyline rolls on this week with Hellion's New Mutants and the Ex of Swords Handbook. And Amazing Spider-Man hits in back-to-back weeks with number 50. Dynamite Comics starts their horror month with Die, Nemite number one. Warhammer 40K gets a mini-series, and Image brings us Commanders in Crisis number one. Again, congratulations to everybody at the short box. We're honored to be a part of it, and we wish you the best in the future. And remember, with great power comes great responsibility.

Cesar 1:13:57

Holy shit. Tying in with our 300.

Badr 1:14:00

Man, thank you so much for that uh for that voicemail. Yes. Um, as always, uh check out Gotham City Limit if you're in the area. That being said, I want to go ahead and jump into our last segment of the show, our infamous champion season. And for those of you tuning in for the first time, champion season is the last segment of the show where we all have the opportunity to highlight a few things within comic books and pop culture that we feel deserve a spotlight. These things could be a comic book itself, a movie, a TV series, a video game, a podcast, uh just whatever we we feel like hey, this is really dope. I'm really into it this week. More people should check it out, and here's why. Ashley, will you do us the honors of championing the first thing for our 300th episode?

Ashley 1:14:49

All right. So I'm gonna champion um The Realist by Asof Hanukkah.

Badr 1:14:53

Oh, wow.

Ashley 1:14:54

Um, it is it's a hardcover collection of a bunch of comics that he did for an Israeli newspaper. Um so it's autobiographical and it's a bunch of shorts, and his style is um is just so varied. Um, there's a lot of different like illustrative styles in there. So it's not just like one style, it's all different kinds of things. Like it's really cool. Like it really shows um just kind of how skilled he is. Um so it's hard when he works with his brother on things because I don't know who does what, just because uh ASOF is just so completely like widespread with his talents. Um, but it's really interesting and it's a really good book. Um, just like one little hardcover came out a couple years ago, and it's it's really cool.

Cesar 1:15:38

It seems like since you mentioned it, I've had one or two people text me directly about um everything that these guys have done. Yeah. Like it's like, case you didn't notice, see, uh Tony Aopi being one of them, like, yo, jump on the shit for real. And I'm like, uh Ashley already told me to my face. And he's like, no, I'm telling you. And like every morning at like 3 a.m., it's like I get a text from Tony A.O.P. Like, yo, is he Eddie Brock Venom? He's like, no, no, no. He's just like, like, yo, start reading the Hanukkah shit, bro. Read the Hanukkah shit before Hanukkah happens, bro.

Ashley 1:16:14

So yeah, they somehow flew under the radar, but they're so insanely talented.

Cesar 1:16:18

The artwork you showed me was phenomenal.

Ashley 1:16:20

Uh-huh.

Badr 1:16:21

Actually, I will say it is without a doubt, out of any of us here, your champion selections always get some sort of follow-up praise or whatever it may be. I feel like it resonates with a lot of people. The daughter hates you for it. Like, damn, what about this Marvel stuff a champion? Yeah, man.

Ed 1:16:38

Okay.

Badr 1:16:39

Stay on brand. That's a good one. Do you have another one?

Ashley 1:16:42

I have one more. So this is more of like a kid's book. Um, it's an archaea book. Um, it's by Ben Queen, wrote it. Um, Joe Todd Stanton um did the artwork for it. So it's called Bear. And it's it sounds really sad. So it's about a seeing eye dog that loses his vision.

Badr 1:17:01

What the hell do I write?

Ashley 1:17:02

Yeah. So it it's like a it's a kid's book, but it's super sweet and um has really nice illustrations. And it was just one of those things where like I look through it and I was like, I I gotta get this. It's a really cute story. It's got like, you know, these little like raccoons in it and stuff. Um, so it's a really good read. Do you even if you don't have kids? I mean, I guess better if you have kids, you could read it to your kids. But um, fuck that. Yeah, yeah. It's you don't probably don't want to read this button. It's like a nice hardcover, so you probably don't want your kids touching it. So you just get it for yourself.

Ed 1:17:34

Hell yeah. Ed, I'll pass it to you. What do you want to champion for? I'm gonna do a couple. I'm gonna do follow-up from earlier is uh the Marvel Snapshots Cyclops. It's just one issue. Um, it's basically like a story about Cyclops growing up, and I'm not a huge Cyclops fan, but the author, Jay Middleton, I think he does an X-Men, X-Men podcast. So I just figured I'd pick it up. And uh it's really cool. It says shows you know Cyclops growing up kind of like in an orphanage and seeing the Fantastic Four on TV, and that's what inspires him to be a hero. Because this is before his powers kick in, but he was getting these you know crazy headaches, and he was kind of an outcast at even there. Like everyone picked on him, even the little kids thought he was weird. So, but it was you know him seeing the uh the X or I'm sorry, uh the Fantastic Four in action inspired him down the road to become a hero, and it kind of it's a nice little coming of age tale, and at the end he's kind of leading the X-Men. He's got like four or five screens, like telling, okay, you guys need to do this, you know, keep the people calm, blah, blah. And it's like, okay, Cylock, you know, basically putting out all the commands and stuff. Keep dressing skimpily. Yeah. I love Cyclops. And then talking to uh like you know, um Reed, because I guess Reed needs help. I guess his with his marriage, yeah. He needs Namor taken out, right? But he has a situation that he needs the X-Men's help in, and then he basically quotes him from when he was a kid. Like, this is why we do this. Oh, that's pretty cool. So it's a really nice story, and then even if you're not a Cyclops fan, it's a really cool in a little coming-of-age one-shot. Very nice. And then season two of the boys. Let's go opposite here. Oh, yeah, here we go.

Badr 1:19:12

Holy shit.

Ed 1:19:14

Um, they're doing a season three, it's completely different from the comic. Um, I'm surprised what they did with Stormfront. Um, I don't know if this might be a spoiler, but like I said, in the comic, Stormfront is a Nazi super soldier, one of the first super soldiers that basically got rebranded. And then they made Stormfront kind of like this alt-right type character. So kind of tackling, I guess, today's politics, but it's not too heavy-handed, you know. It doesn't really, you know, shame you or punch you over beat you over the head with it. But then you find out that she is like, and they changed the whole story. So if you read the comic, this is a totally different thing. So she eventually she's uh found out that she is the first super soldier because Vaught was a Nazi scientist that basically came to the States, which is totally different. And she's been through a few different superhero incarnations over the years because she's older. And uh man, it's they and they play some homage with if you've read the comic, um, love sausage. So those of the who get that, and it's my nickname in college. It's what you think it is, too. But it's like a little throwback to the uh to the comics in the fight scene with Stormfront is a throwback to the comics, and like it's just they keep enough of it to keep it like to kind of appeal to the fans of the book, but they changed it, and it's I think it's better. I think it's better than the source material. So if you're if you're uh kind of on the fence about season two, season two really ramps things up.

Badr 1:20:44

Okay. I need to I I watched half of episode one and then I just got busy. Yeah, and then I got hella nerd changed from Ryan. Oh Ryan. Because he was like, yo, boys is awesome.

Ed 1:20:55

I I watched the same thing because I watched like the first two episodes, and I just kind of and then um yeah, someone uh and then I got message too. It's like, hey, are you watching the boys? Yeah, and it's like I was like, okay, let me know when you watch it.

Badr 1:21:07

He wouldn't even tell me, he's like, What let me know when you watch it? Well, it's even better now because it's already done, right? Like this was the last episode this week. But they're doing the season three. Okay, so I can just watch everything in full.

Ed 1:21:16

Which is everything has been released, so you can just because it was coming out. I think they drop like two episodes and then week week by week. But they're doing uh season three, and it ends, and there's like there's a lot of callbacks to the comic, so the fans of the the comic will will enjoy it too.

Badr 1:21:31

Okay, sounds good. Um C, I'm gonna go to you, man. What do you want to champion today?

Cesar 1:21:37

So because it's October, um, I have been reading nothing but Batman. And I typically haven't been reading Batman in like a long time. And I've been catching up. I never read war games. Um, one, because it was just it just happened to be an event that took like way too long and had a bunch of tie-ins.

Ed 1:21:56

Was that the one with they took over the city?

Cesar 1:21:57

Like all the so the idea being that Batman had a contingency to stop gang warfare in Gotham by seeding gang warfare and then stopping it by introducing his uh alternate uh character, Matches Malone. Oh, okay. So Matches Malone was gonna kind of stop it, but no one really knew that Matches Malone, spoilers, is Batman. Matches Malone and Stephanie Brown, spoiler, uh no spoiler, like that's actually her superhero name. Um after being fired from being Robin, she decides to try and get on Batman's good graces by taking his plan and enacting it in Gotham. But it backfires because she doesn't know who Matches Malone is. So gang warfare erupts in Gotham and it is a street level, you don't see any fucking like dark side or any weird villains that are outside of Batman in purview. Right. It's just straight like Bruce is beaten beating the shit out of like gangsters, like old school, like street level detective shit. So war, I mean, and that's not a new story. War games came out a while back, and then I read that, and then I read uh Bruce Wayne Batman Fugitive, uh, which is really good. Batman gets framed. Well, Bruce Wayne gets framed for a murder, um, and they have to send him to jail, and the entire Bat family is more or less trying to solve Bruce Wayne's like frame job, which is like a legit good detective story. So those are really good. And on top of you know, the classics like Long Halloween, Haunted Night, all that stuff. Um I've been trying to fill up my October with that sort of thing. But the biggest thing I'd like to champion, and I can't believe I'm saying this, is Law and Order SVUs. Oh boy. I'm not kidding. I fell down a dick wolf hole. Dick Wolf hard. That is the most 40-year-old dude thing. Fuck you, I'm not 40 until next year. Um it is so good. I I can't say, like, reading these like like Greg Rucca runs on Batman and Ed Brewbaker runs on Batman, they are as good as like a law and order episode. Just nobody gets in tights and punches somebody at night, right? Like it's it's legit good. So I would say those are my champions. Solid champions.

Badr 1:24:14

And and I I'm fronting 100%. I've bonded with my mom plenty of times over the most random murders and and and New York crimes. That's awesome. So um, no, I respect that 100%. I will go ahead and champion the trailer that we got for Invincible that is set to premiere on Amazon Prime sometime in 2021. If you're not familiar with Invincible, it is a comic. It's Dragon Ball Z. Yo, it's Dragon Ball Z meets coming of age, superhero, teen stories, Spider-Man, Superman. Um Dragon Ball Z kind of epic fight scenes, but it is a comic book series that was published by Image. I think it was one of Robert Kirkwin's first comic book series, or at least the one that helped kind of put around. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. Fair enough. Um, but it is a comic book series that came out from Image a few, well, not even a few, a lot of years back. Uh it was drawn by uh Ryan Otley at some point. I don't remember the original artist name. I think the original artist only did Corey Walker. Yeah. Wow. Okay, wow. But I think Corey Walker did the first six or so issues, then Ryan Otley came on board and it was, you know, when did it come out, dude? Yo, a good minute ago. Like 2002? Yeah. Um I will try to simultaneously look this up. That's like, dude, that that comic is I wonder if they'll keep all that gore. Like the latest. Man, and ripping people's faces off and shit. Jeez. One thing about this um animated approach makes me hopeful that they can stay um as faithful to the source material. Oh, it's um um the issue one came out January 22nd, 2003. Goodness grace. Early 2000s. But just wrapped up. What? Like a year ago? Not too long ago. Like maybe maybe two or three years ago. And it was one of those story or I'm sorry, comic book series that had a very clear ending. Like Robert Kirkman was like, hey. And a big kick in the nuts in the middle. Huge kick in the nuts. Yeah, big time. Um this is a comic book series of among many where Drew has sung its praises for so many years. He has he tried to put me on for like many years, and I didn't like decide to read it until just some random fucking inkling I had. Like, I'll give Inmissible a shot. And boy, was I in for such a fun tree. I got to catch up on like a hundred issues. I had such a good time because I love Spider-Man, because I love Dragon Ball Z fights, because I love just like superhero comics. Um, it is Robert Kirkman's love letter to like just the shit that he grew up on. And I can't recommend the comic book series enough. Um, but this trailer has gotten me excited. Is that Netflix or uh Amazon Prime? Oh, so they are gonna keep the gore. Yeah, so exactly. And that's what I was thinking. I was like, well, if they if they can stay pretty faithful to um uh the boys and everything that goes on with that show, then they can definitely stay faithful to um um uh Invincible because it's animated.

Ed 1:26:50

And I'm not saying that the gore absolutely drives it, because that's no, there's a lot of heart because it's such a like because to me it took such a tonal shift, you know, once that big, you know, the bomb show was revealed, it's like and it's like, oh my god, you know, when they're taking over planets and just repeating the mics, yeah. It is so epic. Man, it is like yeah, it's because it's such like clean superhero artwork, and then that gore just like yeah, Ryan Otley, and Ryan Otley leans into it.

Badr 1:27:17

You know, he loves that stuff. But the trailer made me really excited. Like I said, uh it's gonna premiere on Amazon Prime. I think it's one season so far, eight episodes, so I'm sure that they're just gonna do like the first trade, you know, um him becoming of age, learning about his powers, learning about his dad's um uh superhero origin, things like that. Um, and it's it's the production company is Skybound, which happens to be the comic book company that's they have their own production. Yeah, which is awesome. So I'll champion that Kirkman has that walking dead money. Oh, dude. And then speaking of Dragon Ball Z, I will go ahead and champion uh Dragon Ball Fighter Z for the PS4. There was a big in Japan sale on the PlayStation Network, and they had Dragon Ball Fighter Z, um Mark Down. From $100 to $15. Wow. Is this the RPG? No, this is the fighting. Yeah, it was. Well, it comes with um the Fighter Pass Season One. Okay. Yeah, it comes with Fighter Pass Season 1, which includes like if the stock roster of characters is 16 for just the stock game, Fighter Pass Season 1 added eight more characters. So you were paying for the stock plus the fighter pass season. Jesus got you so bad. Oh, absolutely. Well, here's the thing. I can't find my fucking I cannot find my the the uh the the um the copy that I physically bought. So I haven't had this game for since like fight night, since we had the Dragon Mozzie fight night. Someone stole that shit. Yeah, probably. So um so I mean it's been it's been years since I've played it, and then I see this sale and it's 15 bucks, and I get characters like Android 17, Brawly, and even movie characters like Freezer's brother Cooler. So I had to buy it and really Freezer and Cooler.

Cesar 1:28:51

I believe it's CUDA.

Badr 1:28:52

So the same straight chillin'. So the ability to play this game again um uh has made me extremely happy. It is the Marvel versus Capcom 2 of Dragon Ball Z games. So I will go into Champion Dragon Ball Fighter Z. Um they've added way more characters, they've added like new features. I've added it to my collection. Uh I'm gonna go into Breaking the Sea's House, steal those amazing Spider-Man 300 copies, and my game back. So I'll go into Champion Dragon Ball Fighter Z and Invincible Trailer 1, and that will wrap up this long episode. 300!

Ed 1:29:27

Yeah, happy 300!

Badr 1:29:29

Um I want to thank uh Trey and Justin for sending in emails. I want to thank our sponsor, Ben from Gotham City Limit, for that voicemail. Yo, I'm gonna let you finish. I'm gonna let you finish. And most importantly, I want to thank the Short Box Nation for tuning in. Not only today for our big 300th episode, uh, but for as long uh for you know sticking with us this whole time. Exactly. For as long as the short box has been around. I will double down on my statement from the beginning that we have the best um listenership.

Cesar 1:29:59

Oh, I thought you were gonna do it like you're like yo. I will double down on my statement from the beginning that we have the best goddamn show host in Jacksonville, buttermilic. I should have said something completely unfortunate. I was looking at you like, yo, are you gonna do it?

Badr 1:30:13

We have the best Philly steak sandwich that you can do. Oh my god. Anyway, no, I'm serious. I will double down on my statement that we have the best uh podcast listener or best listenership a podcast could ask for. Thank you guys so much for tuning in week in, week out.

Cesar 1:30:27

Completely lucky to have a fan base like we do. It is a treat. And uh I I can't every time we get an email, every time we see somebody at a live event, every time we get a new patron, it's it's something that blows all of our minds to the point where like, man, yo, people like us. The idea that we get to make cool shit for other people, stuff that we would listen to for others is still such a privilege, especially now in this time when everybody's kind of like still sticking indoors and looking for stuff to do. And we get the opportunity to basically say, Here, uh, hope you hope you guys like this, you know? Yeah.

Badr 1:31:02

In true short box manner, I want to go ahead and and also let uh our listeners know some things that are that are coming up. So, as you guys know, if you've been rocking with us for a long time, short box math. Every 50 episodes equals a season. Uh, that would mean that 301 officially uh gets us into season seven of the short box. Oh yeah. Uh yes, new so alright, some things you can expect in season seven. Uh the the lucky season of what I'll dub it. Ooh. New intro song. Um I've already got a um, there goes the kava all over the floor. I've already got an awesome uh uh interview with one of the industry best lined up. Um I'm right here, man. Thanks. Nice too. Uh in regards to our Patreon, like I said earlier, we you know, we we we have bonus episodes, but we are launching a new uh podcast series called Pilot's License. Pilot's license, sorry about that. Um by the time this episode drops, we'll have two episodes of that new series already launched. We're covering um uh old animated comic book uh cartoon shows. We've already done Spider-Man Unlimited, and of course, Batman the Animated series. It is a great time to uh sign up, become a patron. Not only do you get bonus episodes, merch, and all that good stuff, but we get your money that go towards these expensive ass podcast bills. That's all I've got to share. Thank you guys so much for tuning in and rocking with us for our 300th episode.

Cesar 1:32:23

Thank you so much for your money. Thank you.

Badr 1:32:27

Champagne doesn't buy itself, though. I've got one more batch of voicemails from close friends of the show that I'll go ahead and sign off. Do you guys have anything to add? Like, no, no. This is one time.

Cesar 1:32:38

No, no, I was gonna say for like eight hours. Yeah, no, no, I was gonna say, like, do you got any sign off for the uh 300, Ashley? Do you got anything to say?

Ashley 1:32:46

No, nothing important. Looks like thanks for not firing me.

Cesar 1:32:50

We made it. Thanks for not firing you.

Ashley 1:32:52

Yeah, thanks for not firing me. I'll keep showing up until you tell me not to.

Badr 1:32:57

Ed and C would have got fired well before. Yeah. Well before.

Ed 1:33:00

I would have fired me before you. Ed, do you have anything? No, I'm just it's crazy. We've done this as long as we have. Like, you know, Ashley was saying earlier, it doesn't feel like we've done this last what a couple of years. It's been way more. So it's it's cool. It's cool to reach this uh this milestone, you know. But yeah, it's it's it's cool. Water. Oh.

Badr 1:33:21

Trust me, I don't. I mean, do we have another two hours? Jesus Christ. I will just open a scroll up. Yeah. And first I shall thank my mother. No, I will um I will keep it short and sweet and say that um the short box is the most dedicated I've been to any project or artistic endeavor. It alone has given me, I feel like, a big sense of purpose in life. And I can't say more than that without tearing up and crying all over this microphone. I want to thank everyone that tunes in week in, week out, sends me a message, whether it be good or bad. Um, I would have never expected eight years ago when Wolf told me about doing a podcast about comic books. I think it was me. I would have never expected it to be what it's become now. Um and I want to thank the listeners for making it all the worthwhile. And especially you guys, man. Like week in, week out, you guys are taking an hour or two out of your lives to you know entertain, you know, you know, not only close friends, but also randomly. Um not much though. Enough to buy like enough to buy a hot dog at 7-Eleven. Hot dog is made of friendship. The short box encompasses all the best things in life. It's it encompasses my friends, it encompasses my my you know, comic books and things that I love. And uh it's it's man, I I yeah, it's probably the best thing of my life. So I will end it with that. See, what about you? Man, thanks. It's all give the shit. I waited 300 episodes.

Cesar 1:34:48

You know, you don't come off like a jerk either. That's the best part. That's the best part. No, I no, no, no, you said your piece. You set the tone.

Badr 1:34:56

See, I would absolutely love to hear your clothing review. Sure. It's been a good run.

Cesar 1:35:00

Okay, okay, get fun. That's what I have to say. No, just thanks. That's it. Thanks. Stay tuned. We got a lot in the future. The best is yet to come. Yeah, serious.

Badr 1:35:09

My arm hurts from patting myself on the back so much. I'm gonna go. That's my arm. I'm gonna go ahead and end this episode and uh play these last uh voicemails from some close friends and family. Thank you guys for tuning in. Love you guys. Happy 300 Shortbox Nation.

SBX Hotline 1:35:24

You have reached the short box hotline. No one is available to take your call, leave a message, and keep it geeky.

Ryan Paul Thompson 1:35:31

Huge congratulations to the Shore Box Podcast on hitting 300 episodes. You know, that's 300 is a big number, but what I think is even more impressive is that over 300 episodes, not just I, but I think the entire community and your listeners have seen this team become even more passionate and more in love with what they're doing, and that comes across in every single episode. You've given an additional bit of identity to Jacksonville in a very positive way, which I and many, many of us are grateful for. Congratulations, and uh I can't wait to see what you guys do in the future.

Skit 1:36:07

Message deleted.

Shaggy Black 1:36:10

Hey, yo, yo, yo, yo, you're your boy Shaggy Black checking in. I'm in hot ass Texas. I was trying I was actually outside chilling, but outside of the hangback and drop a line for you boys. And then episode 300, man. Episode 300 for them short box boys and girls. You know, I'm proud of y'all, man. I was actually, um, and I'm super proud to actually be a part of the team when I had the chance. And uh, you know, your boys out there, much love. Y'all show me love. I'm gonna continue showing y'all love. And when I get back to do ball, man, we're gonna kick it. Love y'all, y'all be good.

Yaya 1:36:45

Good girl, yeah, yeah. First of all, congratulations to the short box on their 300th episode. I am so incredibly proud of you guys. I know it hasn't been easy to get here, but we appreciate you guys. I've learned so much about the world of the comics, and I cannot wait to keep listening to 300 more episodes. Congratulations, guys!

Blake 1:37:09

What's up, short box crew? It's Blake. I just wanted to congratulate you guys on your 300th episode. Uh, I started off with Podcast of Doom, so that was back in 2017. Also glad I've gotten to know you guys over the time. So it does feel like it's more than a podcast, and listen to a bunch of friends talk about stuff that I like. Hopefully, we get to 600 so I can leave another message.

Mas Appeal 1:37:29

Shortbox crew, what up, though? You know it's your man Matt the Hill. I know I'm late, but you know I'm Latino, man. You know, we ain't on time for nothing. Want to congratulate y'all, man, for 300 episodes. Humongous monumental. Like, that's huge. Shout out to y'all, shout out to the team, shout out to the squad. Y'all keep it easy, man. Appreciate y'all always putting out that dope culture, man, taking care of hip-hop, the comics, everything, you know what I'm saying, and keeping tracks until dope.

Willie Evans 1:37:58

Hello, may I speak to the short box 300 episodes? You did it! Man, Willie Evans Jr. A 300. May 300 more be bestowed upon you by the gods of recorded thousands. I want to be there for the 10,000th episode. 15,000, you did it! 500,000 episodes of short box. How did we get here? How am I still alive?

Tza Chun 1:38:22

Congratulations, fellas.

Badr 1:38:25

Hey, short box. It's uh Brad. Yeah, yeah. Longtime listener, first time caller. Just calling in to wish you all uh congratulations on the 300th episode. I'm sure everyone in a mama has told you this by now, but thought I'd chime in on the celebration. You guys have accomplished a lot this year. I mean, didn't your host win an award this year? Wow, that guy, man. I mean, he really carries a team. I don't think he gets enough credit, but what do I know, right? Just my opinion. Underrated, if you ask me. Anyway, I can't wait to see what you have in store for the next season. I'm sure Bonter is going to take it to another level. He's probably got something awesome in the works, and um sure the rest of you guys will be there or something. Anyway, happy 300th, and what's that awesome sign off again? Oh, yeah, that's right. Keep it geeky.