Comic Belief

We're joined by the Reverend Julian "J.Kwest" DeShazier, Chicago pastor and emcee, to talk faith, art, and true ways forward in this issue! We hit the spoilers pretty immediately on HBO's Watchmen (you've been warned) and talk about what it means to be a hero ... and where the presence of God comes from, as we take on some of the big ideas from a big show, and think on what it means to hear them again and take their challenge to us seriously six months later in different American events. And we get into what it means for art to be good and honest, and how hiphop holds to that standard. J.Kwest and BreevEazie make up Verbal Kwest, which just released the Lovkwest album, and we talk about where it's lifting up some of the same points -- you can hear part of their track "Lean on Me" as our outro this issue, with special thanks to Julian. Enjoy, friends!Show Notes:

Check out Verbal Kwest's album on Spotify or your favorite platform! https://open.spotify.com/artist/6QJfuXIrDiCpAc97EMLJfg You can learn more about Julian's work as a national advocate, speaker, and emcee at https://www.jkwest.com/We reference a panel discussion on Watchmen with Dr Robichaud, Dr Woodly, Dr Rigeur, and Dr Lebron; you can hear the audio here on Dr Robichaud's podcast: https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-pa9dp-954b24dDr Robichaud and Dr Lebron also have a conversation about Watchmen here: https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-enqkc-821e483

Ender's Game has been a sci-fi classic for decades now. We welcome our first guest co-host, Matt Richards, to help us understand how author Orson Scott Card draws on his faith from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to create this beloved hero, and spot some of the other places where Mormon theology and principles shine through around empathy, leadership, and love. Matt and Ben essentially "met" through a board-gaming podcast, and Matt holds a local position no less sacred than Director of the Choir, so you KNOW he's speaking authoritatively as he offers insights with the clarity of Ender and the empathy of Valentine, now ready to transmit by ansible to your favorite podcast! Got questions or comments? Send them on to @comicbeliefpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, or use ancient technology to e-mail us at [email protected]. Talk to you soon, Believers!

A long time ago, in a pre-fame era far away, a nobody named George read the work of a myth analyst named Joseph Campbell. That book, called "The Hero with a Thousand Faces," inspired the steps Luke Skywalker would ultimately follow in Star Wars: A New Hope. Join us as we unpack the 17 steps of the Hero's Journey with Luke, and talk about how Campbell believed that hearing a story invited us along so we could grow up and become adults who live without fear!

Do androids dream of Comic Belief? They do this episode! We were happily on our way to an episode called Thou, Robot when we decided Blade Runner deserved its own show ... and wound up convinced that Blade Runner 2049 just might be perfect. What makes a person human, and who gets to decide? Was Adam the first android? Are humans guarding our own heavens against the Babel-towers of our creations? And does Deckard's love story with Rachel work on a human level ... or even a replicant one? And what about K and Joy in Blade Runner 2049? Spoilers and speculations abound, so enter at your own risk!

May the Fourth Be With You! In time for the unofficial Star Wars holiday, we release some thoughts on Han Solo. Does he have any faith, or has the galaxy dealt him such a bad Sabaac hand that he refuses to believe in any mystical energy field? Who would he be in the Bible? What are his Myers-Briggs letters ... and what SHOULD they be? Why do personality tests work so well on fictionverses? A bit of comedy and a lighter episode, and we reminisce about some of our favorite behind the scenes legends about Harrison Ford and Han Solo. Enjoy, Believers!

After taking a publishing hiatus through Holy Week for some reason, we're back, with another Mega-Issue! We barely do Justice to a hero in this League, but we were impressed by how much cool background stuff there is to dig into with this heroine-made-from-clay. From Herodotus to CS Lewis, from Ancient Greek to the Fifth Element, we have a blast connecting a lot of dots to the heroine of love and peace. Plus, Megan and I took Wonder-Woman-Creator William Marston's DISC-Theory personality inventory, and reveal our results to each other on-air ... can you guess who's Dominant, Inducing, Submissive, or Compliant in our pairing? Come listen, for the love of goddess!

MEGA-ISSUE! Hi Believers! Megan and Ben here, bringing you over 70 minutes of content on this one!

Alien. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility, and WE admire this film! But what lifted this one above all its creature-feature peers? Why are the traumatic misadventures of Ellen Ripley so compelling? What is it about THIS monster that we fear so much? And at the end of the day, which species from the franchise comes out on top? Who does Ellen Ripley remind Ben of from the Bible ... it's not (just) Jesus this time! Find out more in our first hour-plus MEGA-ISSUE of Comic Belief!

Megan and Ben talk about Iron Man: what makes Tony Stark a hero, and who really won the MCU Civil War? Is Tony a Christ figure by the end? All that and more on Comic Belief!

Hi Comic Believers! Why a podcast about faith themes in comic book movies? Tune in to tag along on our "Irreverent Search for the Reverent" as we tell you OUR Origin Story, and a bit about what makes us tick! This is Origin Story.