This episode reflects on the news that the Writer's Guild of America settled its strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The WGA announced they were thrilled with the resolution.  The main issues were streaming residuals, AI integration, and higher wages.  The actor's union, SAG-AFTRA remains on strike with negotiations scheduled as of the release of this podcast.

Rahul Telang is Trustees professor of Information systems at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University and at the Tepper School of Business.  He joined this episode to discuss the issues that led to the strike, and where will the streaming industry go, paying particular attention to the superhero genre. Dr. Telang does extensive consulting and speaking at various firms. In particular, he has been working closely with Disney and Warner Brothers on their streaming and Home Entertainment business strategy including pricing, streaming, and licensing strategies.

351. BREAKING NEWS: End of WGA Strike 2023

Meanwhile.... at the Hall of Justice. If you are old enough to know exactly what the Hall of Justice is, then you are our demographic.

TV & Film

Film Reviews

TV Reviews

WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2024 WBD/DC Universe release "Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part 2" or do not mind hearing key plot points.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part 1 is the newest WBD/DC Universe release and the first of a trilogy that concludes the “Tomorrowverse” cluster of films. That continuity began in 2020 with Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Crisis is based on the 1985-1986 epic crossover from DC Comics. It is not to be confused with the Crisis crossover in the “Arrowverse” that aired on the CW.

All three films were written by Jim Krieg, who joined the show. He's agreed to review all three parts here on the podcast. In this episode, Krieg talks about the need for proper backstories for Supergirl, Psycho Pirate, and the Monitor.  He also discussed how Part 2 is a bridge between 1 and 3, and how tied into each other the films are.

379. Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part 2 REVIEW w/writer Jim Krieg

Warning: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen Season 2 of the Amazon Prime animated series “Invincible” or do not mind hearing key plot points.

Invincible is an animated series based on the comic book of the same name.  It's created by Robert Kirkman and airs on Amazon Prime. Season 2 begins with the aftermath of the cataclysmic events of Season 1.  Mark Grayson (Invincible) deals with the apparent loss of his father and tries to navigate college and social life as well as being a superhero.

Acclaimed sportscaster Robin Lundberg, a longtime comic-book genre fan, joins the show to review Season 2. 

Use code HALLOFJUSTICE at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan: https://incogni.com/HALLOFJUSTICE

378. Invincible (Season 2) REVIEW (SPOILERS)

Lenny Jacobson played Wayne Cobb in the Apple TV+ series For All Mankind.  He joined the podcast after a mutual friend found out that Seth was a big fan of the show. He also played Gordo in the reboot CW series Frequency, and Evan in the 2022 Max/DC series Peacemaker.  He is also well known for his role in the Comedy Central series Big Time in Hollywood, Florida.

In this episode, Jacobson discusses his career path and the various Hall of Justice-adjacent projects he has been involved in.  He also discussed how For All Mankind grew in popularity after Season 1, and that show's multiple plot twists and character arcs.

377.  Actor Lenny Jacobson (For All Mankind, Peacemaker)

The newest Marvel Studios series is an animated series called X-Men '97.  It continues the now iconic X-Men: The Animated Series from the 1990s.  X-Men '97 has premiered on Disney+ to much fanfare, and fans are coming out on social media to announce their love for the original series.  Larry F. Houston was a producer/director on X-Men. He is a consultant on X-Men '97.  He is on the podcast discussing both the original and new show.

Houston's career spans decades in animation. His credits include GI Joe, Fantastic Four, He-Man, and more.

In this episode, Houston explains his reaction to the adoration for the new show, and how Disney+ has impacted viewership of the original show.  He discusses how the original creators were brought in to help with the new show, and how loyal both series have been to the original comic book source material.

376. X-Men: The Animated Series Producer/Director Larry F. Houston

Iconic comic book creator Garth Ennis joined the show.  Best known for his work on The Punisher, creating The Boys, Hitman, and Preacher.  Ennis has a new project involving a classic character of his, a Director's Cut Edition of 'Marjorie Finnegan, Temporal Criminal' Series. 

Ennis is returning to the much-beloved, epic time travel adventure that debuted in 2021 - this time, with a brand-new Marjorie story, never-before-seen back matter, and rare materials from Garth's archives. Plus, there is an exciting full range of backer offerings, which includes everything from obtaining a soft or hard cover of the title once it's published, to joining Garth and Axel for a virtual drink and chatting about the series, to becoming immortal and having Garth draw you into the new Marjorie story.

In this episode, Ennis discusses his best known work.  He explains his relationship with creator-owned characters such as The Boys, while maintaining a healthy relationship in a work-for-hire function for Marvel with the Punisher. He also weighs in on the current state of the comics industry, and its relationship to TV/film.

More information can be found on the Kickstarter here: http://kck.st/3T0zVl7.

351. BREAKING NEWS: End of WGA Strike 2023

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