Gobbledygeek

Proving their first X-Files episode with renowned British person Wesley "Wezzo" Mead was no fluke, man, Paul and Arlo continue their sporadic discussion of Chris Carter's '90s phenom with a look at season 2. The gang casts their ominous flashlight beams on the season's highs and lows, Scully's abduction, the coming of Darin Morgan, and whether or not the mythology already shows signs of wear. Also, first-time viewer Arlo trusts no one's opinion. Plus, as usual, a conversation with Wezzo about the UK's dire political climate.

Next: our year-long Four-Color Flashback exploration of Matt Wagner's Grendel continues with "The Devil Inside" and "Devil Tales," collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 2, pp. 371-542.

One is born of Harlem; one is born of vengeance. One hopes to attain the Glow; one hopes to slake the bloodthirst of the mother she never met. For the latest Geek Challenge, Paul challenges Arlo to 1985's Motown martial arts picture The Last Dragon, while Arlo challenges Paul to 1973's Japanese exploitation classic Lady Snowblood. (The two films are obviously very similar.) As always, the boys learn more about each other and the differences in how they perceive the cinematic world. Arlo loves hilariously bad "anti-great" movies, so why does The Last Dragon leave him bored? Paul digs tales of otherworldly revenge, so what is it about Lady Snowblood that doesn't quite click for him? Plus, before the usual disagreement, the boys concur in a brief, spoiler-free discussion of Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster.

Next: the truth? Still out there. Continuing our sporadic discussion of Chris Carter's seminal sci-fi series The X-Files, everybody's favorite Brit Wesley "Wezzo" Mead stops by to chat season 2.

I took the turkey's pen

Here we go again.

It's Koko with that joke flow that cannot slow, you're like "oh, hell no"

But oh yes... success!

Tabrys is here to explain with the help of his inability to refrain

From outshouting Paul and AJ

On topics that are like dropkicks to your brain

Yo here's what this episode of Gobble is set to contain:

Random Dave Koz mentions!

Adult hyperactivity on display!

A random remembrance of The Postman Always Rings Twice!

How there's too much good stuff to watch and the resulting Fear Of Missing Out syndrome!

Things get weird!

Things get sexy!

Special Guest: Waterdancer, writer, and amateur knuckleballer A. Jason Tabrys.

Next: how to train your lady dragon? For another Geek Challenge, Paul and Arlo watch the very, very loosely connected martial arts movies Lady Snowblood and The Last Dragon.

Strap on your aprons and grab your spatulas, it's the new episode of Gobbledygeek! This week, Arlo finally gets Paul to go along with his crazy culinary crusade, as the boys cook two burgers apiece from The Bob's Burgers Burger Book. Paul slathers blueberries and watermelon on his, Arlo tosses some broccoli and artichoke on his; all laws of kitchen decorum go out the window when you're making burgers inspired by one of TV's weirdest and funniest shows. Plus, the boys delve into comics controversy with looks at DC Universe: Rebirth, Captain America: Steve Rogers, and Future Quest.

Next: "Koko B There," Jason Tabrys said. There was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth, and the moon became as red as blood.

Times are tough in Matt Wagner's nightmarish neon near-future New York as Paul and Arlo continue their year-long Four-Color Flashback trip through Grendel. This time, the boys finish out "Devil's Legacy" with chapters 8-12 of Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 2 (that's pp. 247-370, if you need to know). What exactly is the devil's legacy? How do Hunter Rose's actions reverberate through the generations, as his "step-granddaughter" Christine Spar once more puts on the mask and picks up the fork? Paul and Arlo search for an answer while drawing a through-line between Grendel and fellow class of '86-ers Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns, poring over the myriad bizarre details of the Pander Brothers' artwork, and lauding the achievements of one McGruff the Crime Dog. Plus, a brief, spoiler-free discussion of the pilot episode of AMC's Preacher adaptation.

Next: strap on your aprons and grab your spatulas! The Deli Counter of Justice authors man their own deli counters, each cooking two burgers apiece from The Bob's Burgers Burger Book.

After many months of mounting obsession, Paul and Arlo finally tackle Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway phenomenon Hamilton: An American Musical. (We hope you've been willing to wait for it.) Joining them is fellow Hamilton superfan Matthew Jackson, a contributing editor for Blastr.com and entertainment writer for Playboy.com. The gang discusses the impact Hamilton has had on them, its dizzying structure (both in terms of story and stage), the radical way it melds hip-hop with theater with history, and the potential it has for the future. Plus, there's a remembrance of the late, great comics artist and writer Darwyn Cooke.

Next: Paul and Arlo continue their year-long Four-Color Flashback exploration of Matt Wagner's Grendel with "Devil's Legacy, Pt. 2," collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 2, pp. 247-370.

Are these the men with which I am to defend Captain America? Well yes, but ladies first: K. Dale Koontz and her husband/Wanna Cook? co-author Ensley F. Guffey, colloquially known as Guffey und Koontz, are here to talk Captain America: Civil War with Paul and Arlo. The 13th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe trades world annihilation for an ideological spat, as Cap and Iron Man disagree about how best to flex the Avengers' supermuscle. The gang discusses this change of pace, whether the premise works, how it differs from the infamous comics event, and the franchise's new players (Black Panther! Spider-Man!). Plus, if that wasn't patriotic enough for you, The Americans continues to be one of the best shows on television.

Next: pop culture writer Matthew Jackson stops by to gush about Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical phenomenon Hamilton, including its new behind-the-scenes book, Hamilton: The Revolution.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life. Sometimes, that means mourning one of our fallen heroes. This week, Paul and Arlo celebrate the work of one Prince Rogers Nelson, who hybridized funk, rock, R&B, and soul into his own distinct brand of ass-wigglin', housequakin' music before passing away last month at the age of 57. The boys discuss their favorite songs and albums, from the iconic ("Purple Rain," "Kiss") to the more obscure ("Starfish and Coffee," "7"). Then they set their sights on four of the Purple One's films: 1984's melodramatic, kinetic Purple Rain; 1986's black-and-white curiosity Under the Cherry Moon; 1990's baffling Graffiti Bridge; and 1987's incredibly hard to find concert film Sign 'o' the Times. Let's go crazy. Plus, Paul went to a Beyoncé concert and there are brief, spoiler-free discussions of High-Rise and Keanu.

Next: it's patriotism vs. capitalism, independence vs. regulation, retro '40s ideals vs. cutting-edge smarm. Guffey und Koontz stop by to chat Captain America: Civil War.

For their second Four-Color Flashback installment discussing Matt Wagner's Grendel, Paul and Arlo jump into the first half of the first proper story arc, "Devil's Legacy" chapters 1-7, collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 2 - The Legacy, pp. 66-246. (This thing's had a convoluted publishing history.) Anyways, as the boys discover, there's been a radical shift from the series' introductory story. Gone is Wagner's Art Deco-cum-manga art style, replaced by the vibrant, angular artwork of Jacob and Arnold Pander; the storyline has also moved into the "near future" circa 1986, which thanks to some clever math, Paul figures out is probably somewhere around 2005. Most importantly, Grendel's mask is now worn by Hunter Rose's step-granddaughter, journalist Christine Spar, who is spurred into action by personal tragedy. Do these stylistic shifts work? Is Wagner's overblown dialogue a noir-ish affectation or merely self-indulgent? Remember when Donahue was a thing? All this and more, plus Paul and Arlo are shocked by the passing of Prince.

Next: so shocked, in fact, that our next episode is devoted to him. The boys will discuss Prince's music, as well as three of his films: 1984's Purple Rain, 1986's Under the Cherry Moon, and 1987's concert film Sign 'o' the Times.

Paul and Arlo want to believe. They also don't want to start yet another spin-off podcast, so this week marks the first of ten sporadic installments discussing Chris Carter's seminal sci-fi series The X-Files. Joining them to discuss the first season is Wesley "Wezzo" Mead, who beams on over from the UK in his (presumably very British) spaceship. Paul talks about what it was like to watch The X-Files every week with the lights out, Wezzo recalls discovering the show as a young TV obsessive, and Arlo offers the perspective of someone watching the show for the very first time. The gang loves the mutual respect between Mulder and Scully, struggles with some very "freshman season" hours, and are in unanimous agreement on the season's best episode. Plus, Arlo commits hate crimes against the British and there's a spoiler-free discussion of Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book.

Next: the second installment of our Four-Color Flashback series analyzing Matt Wagner's Grendel takes a look at Devil's Legacy, Pt. 1, collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 2 - Legacy, pp. 66-246.