Capes On The Couch - Where Comics Need Counseling

After last week's heavy episode, it's time for some fun. So Anthony & Doc travel to The City to talk about THE TICK! What makes this amnesiac superhero such an endearing character? And what TV theme do our intrepid hosts sing this week? Grab a SPOON! and listen now! Intro Plug for Perfect Package Podcast – Chad & Dave each get 5 picks to make the perfect… whatever the topic is – Anthony will be guesting on an upcoming episode Background (3:40) The Tick created by Ben Edlund in New England Comics Newsletter #14 (July/August 1986) – originally the newsletter mascot, got his own comic series in 1988 A nigh invulnerable superhero who escapes from a mental institution in his debut, he cannot remember anything from his life before becoming the Tick Lives in the City, where absurd heroes and villains abound Takes a job at the Weekly World Planet newspaper, working alongside Clark Oppenheimer, aka the Caped Wonder, a Superman pastiche One of his allies and his eventual best friend is Arthur,

No two ways about it, this one is a doozy. Anthony & Doc were supposed to talk about terrorism in comics. They end up solving real world terrorism. In a manner of speaking. This one pulls no punches - listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Shoutout for 90s Court – Lisa & Andy argue a court case about two aspects of 90s pop culture, and the fans vote on who wins – find them wherever you listen to podcasts Review read – Luzz 5 stars on Apple Podcasts - “I’ve just finished listening to the Bane episode and I really like the format & content. Keep it up guys!” Background (04:31) Terrorism in comics has existed as long as the medium – secret organizations hellbent on global domination, mad scientists looking to usurp the world order, connection to Axis powers in WWII… lengthy history In the 60s, AIM and Hydra were two big organizations in Marvel Comics, while the Council and H.I.V.E. (Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination) existed in DC Other publishers wrote similar timely stor

It's a sneak preview of our new Patreon exclusive monthly comic reviews. This month we take a look at Joker: Endgame. Which stories are worthy of inclusion, and which should have been dropped? Listen to Anthony & Doc's review now! SHOW NOTES: Introduction Preview for non-Patrons, future episodes will be available to Patrons $3 and up Each month will feature a trade paperback, along with a review of the story and artwork, and whether or not it’s a recommended read Joker: Endgame Collects Batman 35-40, Arkham Manor Endgame, Batgirl Endgame, Batman Annual 3, Detective Comics Endgame, and Gotham Academy Endgame Batman: Endgame is primary story, with tie-ins and adjacent stories in the trade as well Main story written by Scott Snyder, with art by Greg Capullo, ink by Danny Miki, colors by FCO Plascencia, and lettering by Steve Wands Joker has returned after “Death of the Family” storyline – starts off by infecting the Justice League with toxin that causes them to attack Batman – he has contin

This podcast will be your reckoning - Anthony & Doc discuss BANE! Where does Batman's nemesis go from here? And why is Doc singing Hamilton again? Listen in to find out! SHOW NOTES: Intro Two new patrons – Jonathan & Tyler, and Rey upped his patronage - THANK YOU!!! Podcast plug this week – Ask Iliza – Iliza Shlesinger, her assistant Emily aka Baby Arm, and her producer Scott aka Hot Scotty, talk to guests and answer your questions about life, marriage, comedy, and whatever else runs rampant thru Iliza’s brain Reminder about review/sticker giveaway and upcoming Joker: Endgame review Background (05:20) Bane, created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan, debuted in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 (Jan. 1993) Son of King Snake, a villain who escaped prison in Santa Prisca – the government opted to imprison Bane for the rest of his father’s sentence, so he grew up in prison Took the time to educate himself, learning several languages, as well as meditation Has a fear of bats due

It's the sequel you've been waiting for! The Mental Health Avengers return to discuss AGE OF ACCESS (Part I). What are some of the impediments to accessing mental health care? And what happened to the rest of the Avengers? Listen to the Infinity War of podcast crossovers now! SHOW NOTES: Introduction Guardians MH and Popcorn Psychology Access to mental health Professional availability Insurance (21:30) Other issues (43:00) Apple Podcasts: here Google Play: here Stitcher: here TuneIn: here iHeartRadio: here Spotify: here Twitter FacebookE-mailPatreonTeePublicDiscord

It's a hair-raising episode, as Anthony & Doc look at Medusa, Queen of the Inhumans! Heavy is the head that wears the crown, especially when it's covered in prehensile hair! How does she want to break away from her husband, Black Bolt? All this, plus a special guest voice - Anna from Freudian Sips as Medusa! Listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Mental Health Avengers Review read – Cinemondo Podcast “A unique perspective on the Super Hero genre. Refreshing and fun discussion that goes deep into the psychology of the superheroes you know and love. Fascinating listen!“ Shoutout to Cinemondo – Kathy, Mark, and Burke review genre films – all 3 work in the industry, so they know what they’re talking about, and have some fascinating guests on the show Background (04:06) Medusa, full name Medusalith Amaquelin-Boltagon, created by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #36 (March 1965) Originally a member of the “Frightful Four”, enemies of the Fantastic Four, who had her under mind control until Pro

It's our Season 4 Premiere! We swing into the Ultimate Marvel Universe to look at MILES MORALES! It's no pressure being the next Spider-Man, right? Plus we announce changes to our Patreon, and Doc talks WCW (it makes sense in context). Listen now! Intro Welcome back for Season 4 Discord & YouTube channels to watch/listen live Announce changes to Patreon – monthly trade reviews exclusive to $ level Mental Health Avengers coming soon! Weekly shout-out to Bang Average Movie Podcast – Nathan & Tyler talk about movies. Nathan has a film studies degree, Tyler doesn’t. It comes out in the wash. Good movies, bad movies, they cover it all. Pretty funny – humor focused, so don’t expect serious in-depth analysis Review read – CitrusSunshine on Apple - “I’m not that big of a comics fan, but this podcast is really good. I like that they have in universe and out of universe treatment. Often there are tips and thoughts that are applicable to my life. “ Background (07:18) Miles Morales created by

It's Christmastime in Hell - Anthony & Doc travel to East LA to chat about ROBBIE REYES! He may be the newest character we've done, but he has no shortage of problems. If you think your family is rough, you ain't heard nothing yet - listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Reminder for sticker giveaway Review read: Chad Brockbrader - “Such a great listen, stacking layers on the foundations of characters I THOUGHT I knew like the back of my hand” Shoutout to 10ish Pod – Nick & Brandon cover a different topic each week, covering the top 10-ish of that list, in real time, as only one of them knows what the list is while the other one is in the dark – educational, hilarious, and NSFW – 10ishpod.com Background (03:43) Robbie Reyes created by Felipe Smith & Tradd Moore in All New Ghost Rider #1 (March 2014) – one of the newest characters we’ve done Robbie is a high school student working as a mechanic while taking care of his disabled brother Gabe He borrows a car from his shop and uses it in a s

Anthony & Doc travel to the Outback to visit the world of THE MAXX! This 90s comic is so trippy, and its inhabitants so off-the-wall, that it takes the entire episode to break down 4 characters. So grab a lampshade and get inside a cardboard box - listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Shoutout to the Wrestle Special – Travis and an assortment of guests talk wrestling and not-wrestling.  Background (06:30) Created by Sam Kieth and Jim Sinclair – debuted in Primer #5 as Max the Hare, but the Maxx as we know him debuted in Darker Image #1 (March 1993) Story told through full use of the medium – flashbacks, changing art style depending on location & POV Julie Winters, a free spirited social worker, is beaten, raped, and left to die by a man she helps – she copes by hiding in her subconscious in a place called the Outback – there, Julie is the Leopard Queen, a powerful goddess A few weeks later, she hits a homeless man (Dave) with her car, and instead of helping him, she leaves him in an alley and

We continue the run on archers and focus on OLIVER QUEEN, the Green Arrow! How did he go from "Batman with a bow" to danger-seeking social justice warrior? Listen in and find out! SHOW NOTES: Intro Shoutout to Origin of Speakcies – Scott & Steve talk about common expressions and words, and where they came from Plug for Discord server Background (4:15) Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp in More Fun Comics #73 (Nov. 1941) Created as modern day Robin Hood but a business owner Spent first 25 years as basically Batman with a bow & arrow – this includes a ward, Roy Harper, aka Speedy In 1969, started hanging out with Green Lantern and got “woke” before woke was a thing Speedy gets addicted to heroin and Ollie kicks him out Falls in love with Black Canary (Dinah Lance) – it’s on-again/off-again for several years Revealed to have a son, Connor Hawke, from a previous relationship, who takes up Green Arrow mantle after Ollie sacrifices himself to save Metropolis Revived in 2003

Anthony & Doc look at depictions of psychiatry & therapy in comics. How has the field changed since the 80s? Who gets it right and who gets it waaaay wrong? Tune in to find out! SHOW NOTES: Intro Plug for Scooby-Doo and Sister Too – Liz & Lydia, sisters with nothing in common but their shared love of Scooby-Doo (1:08) Background Examples Arkham: A Serious House on Serious Earth Dark Knight Returns – formerly catatonic Joker sees therapist in Arkham, who thinks he’s managed to fix Joker and brings him on TV to show off his turnaround, before killing everyone Harley Quinn – psychiatrist who falls in love with Joker and joins him (16:45) Doc Samson – typical depiction of “lie down on couch and talk about your feelings” (23:00) Aunt May – Ultimate Spider-Man 45 – sees therapist because of all of the trauma she’s undergone in her life, and her misguided belief that everyone around her dies, so she doesn’t allow herself to get close to anyone – very real and honest depiction of a the

It's our first ever live appearance at Rogue Comics! And we covered the gentle giant Colossus! We compare and contrast his relationships with Kitty and Illyana, plus a Q&A with Piotr himself! Don't miss it! SHOW NOTES: Intro Thanks to everyone for coming to Rogue Comics! New patron - Stephanie! Plug for Play Comics – Chris and a guest play games based on comics, and determine how accurately the game depicts what happens in the comics (3:41) Background (4:45) Colossus (Piotr Nikolayevich Rasputin) created by Len Wein & Dave Cockrum in Giant Size X-Men #1 (May 1975) Piotr was born on a Soviet collective farm with his family, including his sister Ilyana (Magik) As a teen, he saved Ilyana from a runaway tractor, and discovered he had the ability to turn his body into organic steel Joined the X-Men when Professor Xavier put together a team of mutants to rescue the original X-Men on Krakoa, and stayed as a member of the team At one point, he helped save the Fall People in the Savage Land

Anthony and Doc cover Ollie Queen's former sidekick ROY HARPER! From abandonment to drug addiction to child death, this is a very heavy episode - there's even a content warning at the start. This is not a light and fun one, but it's worthwhile to listen to. SHOW NOTES: Intro Background (3:08) Roy Harper created by Mort Weisinger & George Papp in More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941) Originally known as Speedy, sidekick to Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow Raised by Brave Bow, a Navajo medicine chief after his father died, he was adopted by Green Arrow and became Oliver’s sidekick Became a member of the original Teen Titans, and dated Donna Troy before they broke up Famously became addicted to heroin in “Snowbirds Don’t Fly” in 1971 – abandoned by Ollie and taken care of by Black Canary until he got clean Fell in love with villain Cheshire, and they had a daughter (Lian) that Roy didn’t know about until much later Rejoined the Titans and adopted the name Arsenal – after the Titans broke up, he

It's the podcast crossover event of the century! We collaborated with Popcorn Psychology, GuardiansMH, Pop Psych 101, and Freudian Sips to discuss how to end the stigma surrounding mental health discussions. This is a special episode you won't want to miss! Apple Podcasts: here Google Play: here Stitcher: here TuneIn: here iHeartRadio: here Spotify: here Twitter FacebookE-mailPatreonTeePublicDiscord

Part 2 of our New York Comic Con interviews! Anthony speaks with Al Ewing, Saladin Ahmed, Erica Schultz, Robbie Thompson, and the legendary CHRIS CLAREMONT! You won't want to miss this one! SHOW NOTES: Intro Al Ewing (1:02) What he’s worked on in the past Did he pitch the Immortal Hulk to Marvel or did they come to him? How much research does he do to come up with the opening quote? Why did he allow the Hulk to retain eloquence when he speaks? Will he write Guardians and Hulk simultaneously? Saladin Ahmed (11:29) What he’s currently working on Quicksilver – what is his favorite aspect of his personality? How can Pietro alleviate anxiety and stress? Black Bolt – what did he accentuate in his run on the character? What other issues did he want to discuss with Black Bolt? Miles Morales – what does he want to say through Miles? How does he write Miles’ positivity to differentiate him from Peter? What cultural issues does he want to tackle next through comics? Erica Schultz (2

Part 1 of our New York Comic Con interviews! Anthony chats with Cullen Bunn, Howard Mackie, Meredith Finch, Jeremy Whitley, and the inimitable Gail Simone! Listen to what they have to say about the characters they've created and written! SHOW NOTES: Intro Cullen Bunn (3:20) What’s he working on Moon Knight – what did he want to focus on writing Marc? Is Khonshu real or not? How did he come up with the various Priests of Khonshu in the Acts of Evil annual? How did he come to write Moon Knight originally? Who’s his favorite personality of Moon Knight? What does he hope to see in the Disney+ show? Howard Mackie (12:37) What was inspiration for Danny Ketch? What aspects of Danny are based on Howard? Danny’s relationship with his mom What baggage did Danny carry because he lost his sister in his origin? How did he differentiate Danny from Johnny Blaze? How did he differentiate Ben Reilly and Kaine from Peter Parker? What’s coming up next? Meredith Finch (26:44) Wonder Woman

OK, this looks bad. Anthony & Doc take on Matt Fraction's run on Hawkeye. And lemme tell you - it's futzing great. You should stop what you're doing and listen now. Unless you're watching Dog Cops. Then you should finish the episode and THEN listen. SHOW NOTES: Intro Shoutout to The Struggle Bus – a bi-weekly advice podcast hosted by Katharine & Sally – they answer questions and offer opinions, it’s mental health without judgment Background (4:16) Hawkeye, Clint Barton – created by Stan Lee & Don Heck in Tales of Suspense #57 (Sept. 1964) Orphaned as a young boy – he and his brother Barney joined the circus Grew up as a circus performer with incredible aim with projectiles, particularly a bow & arrow Used his skills initially as a thief before reforming and becoming an Avenger Met, fell in love with, and marries Bobbi Morse, aka Mockingbird, a former SHIELD agent turned Avenger – rendered mostly deaf after use of a sonic arrow to defeat Crossfire Marriage became strained, a

Our second thematic episode focuses on survivor guilt! How does Emma Frost cope with all of the horrible things she's encountered? What impact does being the Last Son of Krypton have on Superman? Anthony & Doc break it all down - listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Shoutout to And a Bag of Chips, the podcast that’s all things late 90s/early 2000s – hosted by Lisa Foiles of All That and Drew Background (2:20) Survivor guilt is the idea that a survivor of a traumatic event feels guilty for surviving when others have died First identified in the 1960s, and was featured among several Holocaust survivors – also common among armed forces personnel, victims of natural disasters, and survivors of terrorist attacks Can take several forms: guilt over things they didn’t do or could’ve done, guilt over things they did to survive, and mere guilt over living when others died Can manifest in anxiety, depression, suicidality, nightmares, mood swings Examples Emma Frost - New X-Men 138-139, Astonishing X-

Anthony & Doc examine the Maker (aka Ultimate Reed Richards). What differentiates him from his 616 counterpart? What can heartbreak do to a super genius? All this, plus Doc's most inventive treatment idea yet - listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Shoutout to Cheers to Comics – Brian Wayne talks all things comics Listener Survey Background (04:00) Ultimate Reed Richards created by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar, and Adam Kubert in Ultimate Fantastic Four #1 (February 2004) Based on an updated version of the Earth-616 Mister Fantastic Reed Richards was a child genius recruited to the Baxter Building program with other brilliant young minds, including Ben Grimm, Sue Storm, and her brother Johnny While attempting to teleport matter through the N-Zone, the experiment goes wrong and Reed gains the ability to stretch himself to incredible lengths He and the rest of the Fantastic Four are heroes until the Ultimatum event, where Magneto’s attempt to destroy the world results in the deaths of dozen

To tie in with the Absolute Carnage storyline, Anthony & Doc tackle Carnage himself, CLETUS KASADY! What treatment is there for a deranged, amoral serial killer bonded to a symbiote? Doc has the answers! Listen now! SHOW NOTES: Intro Shoutout to Cage’s Kiss podcast – Every episode covers another Nicolas Cage film Background (02:36) Cletus Kasady created by David Michelinie and Erik Larsen in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 (March 1991) Created because Michelinie wanted to kill off Eddie Brock in ASM 400, but he was too popular – Aunt May killed off instead Born in Ravencroft Asylum, but his heart stopped for a few minutes until he was revived by an ancient evil who foresaw that Cletus would be the one to free him As a child, he pushed his grandmother down a flight of stairs and killed her, threw a hair dryer in the bathtub with his mother, and killed his mother’s dog with a drill His father went to jail for beating his mother, so he was raised in an orphanage, which he burned down after ki