Capes On The Couch - Where Comics Need Counseling

We go from reading to watching, as we examine UATU! How does Doc propose to cure this voyeur of his addiction? Find out - listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Thanks to new Patron Local Official Kate! Announcement of nominations for award show - Google Doc will be open until 8/31/20 Request for sharing on social media Background (13:09) Uatu the Watcher created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #13 (April 1963) First introduced as The Watcher, who lived on the Blue Area of the Moon - introduced himself to the Fantastic Four, who discovered him when they landed there Part of a nearly immortal race of beings whose sole purpose was to observe civilizations - they made this vow after introducing nuclear power to one group of people, who used it to destroy one another Despite his vow of non-interference, he helped the Fantastic Four defeat Galactus by helping Johnny Storm find the Ultimate Nullifier Was later put on trial by his own people after numerous violations of the vow - released on his own re

Things get downright inhuman as we examine READER! Is it a problem if a dog isn't just a man's best friend, but his only one? Plus a cross-country skit you have to hear - listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Two new Patrons - Humble Citizen Andrew & Mayor Jacob! 100th episode will be award show - more information at next episode Background (03:15) Reader created by Charles Soule and Ryan Stegman in Inhuman #4 (October 2014) An older Inhuman, he was part of a group that lived in Greenland Once the Terrigen Bomb went off, he worked as a finder for the Ennilux corporation, bringing them NuHumans When one of the Inhunmans brought to the company is going to be used as a vessel for the chairman and killed, though, he rescues her and they go on the run Later joins a team organized by Black Bolt to help search for Black Bolt’s son Ahura Often works with Agent Frank McGee, who operates as an intermediary between Inhumans and the human world Helps Daredevil work on rooting out the corruption in Wilson Fisk’s mayo

We head to the Hundred Acre Wood to find EEYORE! What treatment can Doc offer this perennially depressed donkey? Thanks for noticing us - listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Thanks to all the podcasts that participated in the Pod Raid last week, much appreciated Shoutout to Ocho Duro Parlay Hour - Ken, Padawn J, and Coach Duffy, along with an assortment of guests, talk sports, wrestling, entertainment, all in an hour - hence the name  Background (03:24) Eeyore created by A.A. Milne in Winnie-the-Pooh (October 1926) An old gray donkey, he is a friend of the various creatures in the Hundred Acre Wood He has a detachable tail, which he frequently loses - Owl used it at one point as a bell-pull In the original books, much more apathetic and condescending towards the others Disney version made him less nasty Issues (06:23) Depression - as in, anhedonia Depression - as in, lack of acknowledgement (11:45) Depression - as in, the voice of the cynic (19:15) Break (25:25) Plugs for Parent Quest, Petri Dish,

We head to Hell's Kitchen to examine the Man Without Fear, DAREDEVIL! Which of Matt Murdock's many issues can we address in an hour? Close your eyes and listen now! (Due to a technical glitch, this episode is in mono - sorry!) SHOW NOTES: Intro New Mayor-level patron - Wol! Will now be doing 2 TPB reviews/month on Patreon Shoutout to Verbal Diorama - Em covers movies from an entertaining perspective Background (03:58) Daredevil created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett in Daredevil #1 (April 1964) Matt Murdock was a young kid when he was blinded by chemicals spilled from a truck - although he was blind, the rest of his senses became heightened, and he used these abilities to learn how to fight and become a hero Temporarily created “Mike Murdock”, a “twin brother”, to throw people off the Daredevil identity, but that was dropped early on Early storylines focused on Matt trying to keep his identity secret from those around him, though he did confide in his girlfriend Karen Page early on, but the strain was

It's time for another thematic episode - how do support systems impact rehabilitation of comic villains? And what techniques can we apply to the real world to reduce recidivism? This one gets a bit heady - strap in & listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Thanks to new Patron Dan Message from fan Jacob - “your podcast helped me get through some really s**tty times in the last couple weeks. I’m just wrapping up my undergrad degree in psychology, wanting to do something with addiction, and Doc’s way of speaking about psychiatry & practicing has genuinely reaffirmed why I wanted to take this path. When I didn’t really feel like studying for my exams I’d find an episode where you examined a character with said disorders or behaviors I was being tested on” New review - EmeraldGod - Doc and Anthony break down superheroes to a level that makes you go hmmm. They allow us to dive into the minds of characters to not only reveal a little about the character and how they see the world, but they also open them up and sh

We head back to the sewers to look at RAPHAEL from TMNT! How hot is this hothead? And what techniques does Doc have to calm him down? Grab a slice of pizza and listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Shoutout to Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men - self explanatory title, and always entertaining - currently covering X-Man and Earth-295 - xplainthexmen.com New Mayor level patron - Amy! Background (5:35) Raphael created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984) In Mirage stories, Raph is the angriest and most violent one on the team, but grows to understand Leo’s leadership Becomes mutated into a dinosaur-like creature after being attacked by a vampire Image Comics - becomes disfigured after getting blasted in the face, and wears a Casey Jones-like mask to cover his eye Then briefly took over the Foot Clan during an ongoing fight against the mob IDW - Separated from his brothers after the mutation, and lived on the street for a while Befriended Casey Jones after rescuing Casey

We bring back writer ERICA SCHULTZ to talk about her latest work, Forgotten Home! Which Disney hit inspired the story? How does she avoid writing a Mary Sue character? All this and more in a great interview - listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Plug social media Interview Background on Erica Genesis for project - inspiration, etc Marika Cresta - how did she come on board? Previous interview, mentioned daddy issues in characters - this one has mommy issues - how much Erica in Lorraine/Joanna? Lorraine - Tries to keep Joanna safe, but it backfires on her Several children taken from home...some of which were abusive to begin with Rani - what’s the source of her prejudice? Narcissism on full display - claims to give people choices, but it’s only a choice that works for her Trodaire - most fascinating character to me, so many divided loyalties - crown, Lorraine, Kerel Gained trust/authority at a young age despite no magic in a magical royal court How is Michael unfazed by Lorraine’s appearance? Ideas

For Pride Month, we head north of the border to talk Northstar with Dr. Goku from GuardiansMH! A fascinating episode that covers impulse control, linguistic history, and how to handle trauma! Listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Intro Dr. Goku, talk about Guardians New patron - Angela Shoutout to FriGay the 13th - Andrew & Matty cover horror films & topics with a LGBTQ perspective - frigay13.com  Background (10:17) Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier) created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne in Uncanny X-Men #120 (April 1979) Jean-Paul Beaubier and his twin sister Jeanne-Marie are born to French Canadian parents in Montreal, but his parents die in a car crash and the twins are separated Shortly thereafter, his adoptive parents are killed Despite this tragedy, he becomes a champion skier until his mutant powers manifest in puberty - flight, durability, and super speed Later joins the Quebec separatist movement, but renounces their terrorist tactics He joins Alpha Flight, where he’s reunited with Jeanne-Ma

It's time for another Bat-family episode, this week it's Azrael! We break down the Az-Bat and discuss how religion impacts his outlook on life! Plus we get real about current events - you won't wanna miss it! SHOW NOTES: Intro Talk about last week’s call to action Background (10:35) Jean-Paul Valley created by Denny O’Neill, Joe Quesada, Grant Morrison, and an uncredited Peter Milligan in Batman: Sword of Azrael #1 (Oct.1992) Jean-Paul Valley is a computer science student in Gotham City, who discovers his father was an assassin for a secret religious society called The Order of Saint Dumas, and that he is next in line He was sent to kill Carlton LeHah, who had murdered his father, and in so doing crossed paths with Batman - ends up saving Bruce and overriding his conditioning, becoming his own man Joins WayneTech, and after Bruce is paralyzed by Bane, takes over as Batman Operates much more ruthlessly, as a combination of his conditioning and his belief that Bruce is too lenient on criminals - after

We punch a wall through Superboy-Prime! How is Prime like 2Pac? And which DuckTales character is Alex Luthor Jr. like? Listen in to find out! SHOW NOTES: Intro Shoutout to Seequels - every week three hosts review direct-to-video sequels of childhood favorites, and compare/contrast with the originals - seequels.com Background (04:38) Superboy-Prime created by Elliot S! Magin & Curt Swan  in DC Comics Presents #87 (Nov. 1985) Earth-Prime is “our” world in the multiverse - no superheroes exist Clark Kent is the adopted son of Jerry & Naomi - turns out he’s actually got latent superpowers, which manifest when he turns 15 and Halley’s Comet passes overhead Joins the Crisis on Infinite Earths - ends up in a paradise dimension alongside Superman & Lois of Earth-2, and Alexander Luthor Jr. of Earth-3 Longs to return to his world, even though it was destroyed, and becomes angsty - punches the wall of reality, creating numerous changes in reality and retconning several character changes Destroys th

Get yer claws out, it's time to examine LAURA KINNEY! We look at this socially awkward Wolverine, and Doc invents a new use for the Danger Room! Listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Apologies for no new episode last week - tried to get creators, and then needed a break New folks in Discord & Facebook fan groups - plug for those communities Background (04:39) X-23 created by Craig Kyle for the X-Men: Evolution TV series, first comic book appearance in NYX #3 (Dec. 2003) by Joe Quesada & Joshua Middleton, first miniseries was X-23 by Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost Dr. Sarah Kinney, a geneticist, is hired to replicate the Weapon X program that created Wolverine, but the sample has a damaged Y chromosome, so Dr. Kinney manipulates the gene to create a XX version - after 22 failed attempts, the 23rd is a viable embryo, which she is forced to carry to term X-23 is raised as a killer, and given no human affection, aside from her sensei & Dr. Kinney At the age of 7, she is subjected to radiation to t

We head to Bludhaven to take on the man of many names, Dick Grayson! Whether he's Robin, Nightwing, or Batman, he's the Bat-family's Jack of all Trades. According to Doc, he's also like Saved by the Bell - listen in to find out why! SHOW NOTES: Intro Shoutout to Connor Carrick podcast - NHL defenseman Connor Carrick does a deep dive into improving mentally, emotionally, and spiritually - not just promoting this because he’s a Devils player, it’s a compelling listen - https://connorcarrick.podbean.com/ NEW SWAG! Check out our TeePublic store! Background (4:13) Dick Grayson created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane in Detective Comics #38 (April 1940) Dick Grayson is a trapeze artist whose parents were killed by gangsters - Batman helps him seek revenge against the crime boss responsible, and he trains under Batman to become Robin the Boy Wonder Later leads the Teen Titans, a group of sidekicks Post-Crisis, he chafes under the sidekick role, and renames himself Nightwing, starting to operate as a solo hero i

The Avengers have assembled once again, and this time we're finishing our second episode on the issues with access to health care. Listen as we come up with solutions to problems we hadn't considered when we recorded our last episode in a pre-COVID19 world! SHOW NOTES: Intro GuardiansMH, Pop Psych 101, Freudian Sips, and Popcorn Psychology Background  Recap of problems raised in Part 1 Issues Telepsych in the age of COVID-19 and possibilities moving forward Insurance and changes to the system - single payer? Hopes for the new normal Ending Plugs for social References: Melancholia - Brittney (75:56) Apple Podcasts: here Google Play: here Stitcher: here TuneIn: here iHeartRadio: here Spotify: here Twitter Facebook Patreon TeePublic Discord

Grab your nunchuks and sais, it's time to face THE SHREDDER! Anthony & Doc examine which of the Turtles is his frenemy, and which member of the Juice Crew he'd be. Listen now! SHOW NOTES:  Issue 78 - Shredder Intro Shoutout to Gutting the Sacred Cow - comedians Kevin Gootee & Kevin Israel rip apart popular movies. They have a guest each week, and if you’re in the mood for hot takes, this is the show for you - guttingthesacredcow.com  Podchaser Reviews4Good extended to the end of the month, and Libsyn (our distributor) also backing the donations to Meals on Wheels COVID19 Relief Congrats to Seth in our FB group on the birth of his daughter, Arwyn Bellatrix Background (05:39) Shredder, aka Oroku Saki created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984) In the original Mirage comics, Hamato Yoshi & Oroku Nagi were rivals for the love of a woman, Tang Shen, in Japan - when Yoshi killed Nagi, his younger brother Oroku Saki took it upon himself to seek revenge

It's time for another thematic episode, and this time we brought along the requestor himself, Matt, as a guest! How does anonymity impact our dealings with each other? Is our world more like DC or Marvel? And how will the COVID-19 pandemic affect all of it? These topics and more in this episode - listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro First episode where the Patron is a guest! Welcome to Matt! Shoutout to Nooks & Crannies - Matty & Evan talk about the politics of everyday life, and all the little things that go along with it (NSFW) - https://nooksandcrannies.podbean.com/ New t-shirt design coming soon! We promise! MH Avengers recording sesh next week, so new episode coming there Background (07:00) Secret identities in fiction existed before comic books - the Scarlet Pimpernel and Zorro both predate comics First comic book character with secret identity was the Phantom, who was before Superman, the most famous alter ego in comics Most superheroes had secret identities for decades - Fantastic Four were

We take a short trip to Jersey City to talk to KAMALA KHAN! What does hero worship from one hero to another look like? And we have our first ever winner of an open casting call for the voice of Kamala - Nur Chodry! Listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Shoutout to Seth making memes in FB Group Podchaser Reviews4Good Background (03:55) Kamala Khan created by Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, and Jamie McKelvie in Captain Marvel #14 (August 2013) in a one-panel cameo, but first major appearance was Ms. Marvel #1 (Feb. 2014) First generation Pakistani-American, she chafes against the rules of her parents - she’s a major superhero fangirl, and writes fanfiction about the Avengers, especially Carol Danvers, whom she idolizes One night she sneaks out of the house only to end up exposed to the Terrigen Mists, which unlock her latent Inhuman genes – she has the power to shape-shift Her friend Bruno learns of her abilities after she gets shot stopping Bruno’s brother from robbing a store, a

For our 75th episode, we flip the script - Anthony's the expert and Doc's asking questions. Primarily: how do you estate plan in a world where death isn't permanent? Find out some real life estate planning tips, plus Anthony pitches a new comic book! Listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Social distancing – next few episodes will be recorded remotely New patron – Tasha – new Mayor level patron Review read – Dino Gangof1 from Huuuh? Podcast - “More than a comics podcast. Delves deep into superhero psyche. Always a great listen. A new must in my book.” Shoutout to Happier Podcast - Gretchen Rubin helps listeners find a happier life Issue – how to handle estate planning in a world where death is not permanent (09:45) Examples: Jean Grey, Superman, Wolverine – countless heroes have died and returned Furthermore, non-powered individuals have returned from the dead as a result of the actions of heroes E.g. Avengers: Endgame and the fallout of “the Snap” seen in Spider-Man: Far From Home What happens

We tidy ourselves up for a look at Batman's butler ALFRED PENNYWORTH! Why does he keep working for a loner like Bruce? And how would he actually be like a Real Housewife? Listen now to find out! SHOW NOTES: Intro Review read – Rey - “Well worth listening for the entertainment value of comic book superheroes, but highly informative when it comes to mental health. Anthony & Doc Issues are on top of their game here… analyses and skits make for a perfect mix!” Plug of the week – Geek History Lesson – Jason & Ashley take an in-depth look at a pop culture character every week – Jason wrote a book about military superheroes, and they have a comic book called Jupiter Jet that just finished up a Kickstarter Background (03:54) Alfred created by Don Cameron & Bob Kane in Batman #16 (April 1943) Originally Alfred Beagle, later retconned to Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth Also originally overweight and clumsy, he was the comic relief of the story, as he attempted to act like a detective alongs

Anthony & Doc tackle a world without Y chromosomes when they examine Yorick Brown from Y: The Last Man! Yorick's got so many problems we actually examine FOUR! And how is Doc like the 1990s Chicago Bulls? Listen now to find out! SHOW NOTES: Intro Shoutout to Ignorance Was Bliss – Kate interviews a guest every week about whatever comes to mind – I guested a few months back, she’s a wonderful person and the show should be on everyone’s list TeePublic sale: Today, March 18th- 22nd Background (04:23) Yorick Brown created by Brian K. Vaughan in Y: The Last Man #1 (September 2002) Yorick Brown, an amateur escape artist, and his pet capuchin monkey Ampersand are the only male survivors after an unknown cause kills every male mammal with a Y chromosome simultaneously – society thrown into chaos as women try to cope with the loss Yorick’s mother, Representative Jennifer Brown, tasks Agent 355 with bringing Yorick to Doctor Allison Mann, a geneticist working on cloning, in an attempt to figure out w

Anthony & Doc take a deep dive into the BPRD's resident fish-man, ABE SAPIEN! What is he? Why does he compare himself to Hellboy? And how many fish puns can Doc make this week? Listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro 2nd Anniversary of our show – thank you’s New patron Frank TeePublic sale – March 18th-22nd Shoutout to True Stories of a Tryhard – Ethan discuss his struggles with anxiety and talks to guests about their issues with mental health – I was recently a guest Background (09:00) Abe Sapien created by Mike Mignola in Hellboy: Seed of Destruction (March 1994) Introduced as a member of the Bureau for Paranormal Research & Defense alongside Hellboy & Liz Sherman, where they battled a resurrected Rasputin who was responsible for summoning interdimensional demons to Earth to destroy mankind Later told by Rasputin’s spirit he would be speared to death, which came to pass – he had an out of body experience, where he saw his previous life – he was born Langdon Everett Caul Caul was a V