Gobbledygeek

Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen! Paul and Arlo set sail for a discussion of David Jenkins' pirate rom-com Our Flag Means Death. The new HBO Max series, a very loose telling of the history between Stede "The Gentleman Pirate" Bonnet and Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, begins as a silly romp very much in the vein of executive producer/star Taika Waititi's other work. And then…well, it becomes something very much more, depicting a number of queer romances in positive, affirming fashion. The boys discuss this shouldn't-be-shocking-in-2022 level of representation, the chemistry between Rhys Darby and Waititi, how closely (or not) the show follows the historical record, the series' moral of not accepting that the way things are is the way they have to be, and more. Plus, up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, Arlo is reading old Superman comics!

NEXT: reply hazy, try again.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:47 - Intro / Banter

00:18:30 - Our Flag Means Death

01:36:26 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• "'Our Flag Means Death' Just Delivered a Mortal Blow to Queerbaiting" by Kaila Hale-Stern, The Mary Sue

• "How 'Our Flag Means Death' Uses Piracy to Denounce Toxic Masculinity" by Marco Vito Oddo, Collider

• "Not Just Queer Rep, but Queer Joy: A Deeper Look at the Multiple Romances of 'Our Flag Means Death'" by Dani Herd, Collider

• "With Gay Pirates, 'Our Flag Means Death' Revolutionaizes Queer TV" by Mey Rude, Out

• "Vico Ortiz on playing non-binary pirate Jim in 'Our Flag Means Death': I'm 'proud to be part of it'" by Yolanda Machado, Entertainment Weekly

• "'Our Flag Means Death's creator on the show's fandom and future, in season 2 and beyond" by Tasha Robinson, Polygon

MUSIC

• "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed, Transformer (1972)
• "Miles from Nowhere" by Cat Stevens, Tea for the Tillerman (1970)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
• The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org
• Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/
• • US (877) 565-8860
  • Canada (877) 330-6366
• National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org
• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/
• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

Sometimes a gorilla is just a gorilla. Sometimes, though, that gorilla–righteously bearing arms though he may be–is a gateway to a story about the power and fluidity of narrative. For this month's Four-Color Flashback, Paul and Arlo go ape for Si Spurrier and Jeff Stokely's Six-Gun Gorilla, a sci-fi Western published by BOOM! Studios in 2013. The boys discuss Stokely's glorious, hyper-exaggerated art; how the book's entertainment conglomerate dystopia feels like a logical extension of our present; the way Spurrier weaves various pulp genres throughout his story; and more. Plus, Paul got sick in Gatlinburg again and Arlo admits he was wrong about Dune.

NEXT: Gobbledygeek will return.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:55 - Intro / Banter

00:21:30 - Six-Gun Gorilla

01:25:50 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• "Six-Gun Gorilla: The Complete (Original) Saga"
• "Spurrier Aims for Future Western Weirdness With 'Six-Gun Gorilla'" by Ryan Ingram, CBR
• "Simon Spurrier & Jeff Stokely's 'Six-Gun Gorilla' Is Insane" by Andy Khouri, Comics Alliance
• "SIX-GUN GORILLA: The Awesome Starts Here" by Simon Spurrier
• "Read the lost adventures of Six-Gun Gorilla, the greatest cowboy gorilla in fiction" by Cyriaque Lamar, Gizmodo

MUSIC

• "Clint Eastwood" by Gorillaz, Gorillaz (2001)
• "Wayfaring Stranger" by Johnny Cash, American III: Solitary Man (2000)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
• The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org
• Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/
• • US (877) 565-8860
  • Canada (877) 330-6366
• National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org
• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/
• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

Somethin's comin', somethin' good: this week, Paul and Arlo pirouette through a discussion of Steven Spielberg's new take on West Side Story, nominated for Best Picture at this year's Oscars. Is it a spoiler to say they love it? The boys discuss how Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner's changes enrich the text, why choreographer Justin Peck's bold choice to discard Jerome Robbins' iconic choreography was the right move, what it means for the Sharks to be played by Latinx actors, and the joy of watching Spielberg treat every musical number like his and Janusz Kaminski's playground. Plus, Taco Bell sends Arlo spiraling into an existential crisis, and the boys chat about this year's other Best Picture nominees.

NEXT: Si Spurrier and Jeff Stokely's Six-Gun Gorilla is locked and loaded for this month's Four-Color Flashback.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:53 - Intro

00:06:39 - Interminable Oscars Discussion

00:37:43 - A Look Back to Episode 402

00:47:04 - West Side Story (2021)

02:14:52 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• How 'West Side Story' Reset Itself by Jackson McHenry and Helan Shaw, Vulture
• How Tony Kushner and His Collaborators Brought 'West Side Story' Into the 21st Century by Andrew R. Chow, Time
• 'West Side Story's' Iris Menas Brings New Dimension to Old Character by Carole Horst, Variety

MUSIC

• "Something's Coming" by Ansel Elgort, West Side Story (2021 Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2021)
• "Somewhere" by Rita Moreno, West Side Story (2021 Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2021)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
• The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org
• Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/
  • US (877) 565-8860
  • Canada (877) 330-6366
• National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org
• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/
• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

Why use old code to mirror something new? Writer/producer Tilly Bridges is back to continue last week's discussion of The Matrix series. This time, she joins Paul and Arlo to chat about 2003's anime anthology The Animatrix, which fits surprisingly well into the series' trans allegory; and, for the bulk of this episode, The Matrix Resurrections. Lana Wachowski's triumphant return to her signature co-creation is strikingly similar to the original films…and strikingly different. The gang discusses Neo/Trinity's self-actualization, Wachowski's freer and more open approach to filmmaking, Jonathan Groff's take on Agent Smith, and so much more.

NEXT: we'll be back, or we won't. We probably will be.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:55 - Intro / Guest

00:03:00 - The Animatrix

00:41:32 - The Matrix Resurrections

01:51:20 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• Tilly & Susan Bridges
• How The Animatrix Set the Bar For What If…? and Star Wars: Visions by Kayti Burt, Den of Geek
• Too many movies right now are "about trauma." The Matrix Resurrections actually does the work by Emily VanDerWerff, Vox

MUSIC

• "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane, Surrealistic Pillow (1967)
• "Wake Up" by Brass Against, Brass Against (2018)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/
• • US (877) 565-8860
  • Canada (877) 330-6366
• National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org
• Resources for Transgender Youth in Texas: https://www.txtranskids.org/
• Transgender Education Network of Texas: https://www.transtexas.org/
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Unfortunately, no one can be told what Gobbledygeek is. You have to listen to it for yourself. Writer-producer Tilly Bridges joins Paul and Arlo for the first of a two-part discussion of Lilly & Lana Wachowski's revolutionary Matrix franchise. This week, the gang discusses the original Matrix trilogy, which was released from 1999-2003 and shattered moviegoers' preconceived notions of the world around them. In turn, Tilly shatters Paul and Arlo's preconceived notions of these films by touching on the Wachowskis' many choices–from dialogue to set design to costuming–that serve to reflect the trans experience.

NEXT: we plug back in to explore The Animatrix and The Matrix Resurrections.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:32 - Intro / Guest

00:13:47 - Main Topic

01:55:40 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• Tilly & Susan Bridges

• How The Matrix universalized a trans experience — and helped me accept my own by Emily VanDerWerff, Vox

MUSIC

• "Dissolved Girl" by Massive Attack, Mezzanine (1998)
• "Wake Up" by Rage Against the Machine, Rage Against the Machine (1992)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/
• • US (877) 565-8860
  • Canada (877) 330-6366
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Panthers…IN SPAAAAACE! For their first Four-Color Flashback of 2022, Paul and Arlo look to the stars, where they find Black Panther: The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. The second half of Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Panther run, these 25 issues--with art by Daniel Acuña, Kev Walker, and Ryan Bodenheim, among others--concern T'Challa's rise from slave to legend in an alien empire that bears his kingdom's name. The boys discuss Coates' bold new direction, the question of expansion vs. imperialism at the heart of the book, Acuña's photorealistic interstellar action compared to Walker's more abstract emphasis on character, and that goddamn symbiote. Plus, an acknowledgement of how surreal it is to be reading a comic book depiction of war at this particular moment, Amazon's evisceration of comiXology, and more.

NEXT: let's party like it's 1999-2003. For the first of a two-part exploration of the Wachowskis' Matrix series, Mimesis author Eric Sipple jacks in to discuss the original trilogy. Whoa.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:23 - Intro / Banter

00:08:21 - Paul's Unhinged ComiXology Rant

00:34:43 - Main Topic

01:56:36 - Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Intergalactic" by Beastie Boys, Hello Nasty (1998)
• "Space Jam" by Quad City DJ's, Space Jam (1996)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/
• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

Clint Barton, draw back your bow and let your arrow go straight to Disney+. Hollywood big shot Michael Holland joins Paul and Arlo for another season of MCUTV. This time, Jeremy Renner returns as the titular Hawkeye for six episodes of street-level crimefighting. He's joined by Hailee Steinfeld as that other titular Hawkeye, Kate Bishop, to do battle with tracksuit bros, LARPers, and showtunes. The gang praises the show for its relatively small stakes, compares it to Matt Fraction and David Aja's classic run, discusses Clint's unique baggage both inter- and extra-textually, and more.

NEXT: like the Terminator, we'll be back.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:33 - Intro / Guest

00:09:37 - Hawkeye

01:39:45 - Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" by Thurl Ravenscroft, Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
• "Save The City" by Adam Pascal, Ty Taylor, Rory Donovan, Derek Klena, Bonnie Milligan, Christopher Siever & Shayna Steele, Hawkeye: Vol. 2 (Episodes 4-6) (2021)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/
• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

You're in luck--season 13 of Gobbledygeek is here. Everyone's favorite more or less (emphasis on less) weekly podcast returns with a look at the horrors 2022 has in store. How are Paul and Arlo feeling, two years into a pandemic? How dissatisfied are they with the goons running this whole show? Would they survive the apocalypse? At a certain point, the boys remember they're supposed to be doing a pop culture show. Paul heads to Station Eleven, while Arlo finds The Lost Daughter and runs to Flee. Whistle through the graveyard with your podcast pals!

NEXT: more good-time goofs from your friends at Gobbledygeek.

MUSIC

• "Back in the Saddle" by Aerosmith, Rocks (1976)
• "Jerry Springer" by "Weird" Al Yankovic, Running With Scissors (1999)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/
• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

It's only one more Gobbledygeek 'til Christmas! This year, instead of discussing the weird or cynical sides of the holidays, Paul and Arlo are embracing sincerity with a look at 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol. The first Muppets feature film following the death of Jim Henson is a faithful adaptation of the classic novella, with Gonzo as Charles Dickens himself and none other than Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge. The boys discuss why Caine's decision to play things straight is key to the film's success, the film's technical wizardry, the beautiful songs by Paul Williams, and why it's the greatest Christmas film of them all. Plus, Paul and Arlo recount a very strange year and get honest about the difficulties of the holiday season.

NEXT: have a safe and merry holiday, regardless of what you celebrate, and a happy new year. We'll be back in 2022 with the long-awaited discussion of The Americans season 4 featuring Wesley Mead.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:50 - Intro

00:14:00 - The Muppet Christmas Carol

01:42:05 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• "A meta-masterpiece: why 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' is the perfect festive film" by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, The Guardian

• "A Grand Yuletide Theory: 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' is the Best Adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol'" by Ethan Warren, Bright Wall / Dark Room

• "Long Lost 'Muppet Christmas Carol' Song Has Been Rediscovered and Will Be Included in 4K Release" by Hoai-Tran Bui, Slashfilm

• "The makers of 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' break down the movie's lost musical number" by Tyler Aquilina, ew.com

• "How we made: The Muppet Christmas Carol" by Ben Beaumont-Thomas, The Guardian

MUSIC

• "Scrooge" by The Muppet Cast, The Muppet Christmas Carol (Original Soundtrack) (1992)
• "When Love Is Gone" by Meredith Braun, The Muppet Christmas Carol (Original Soundtrack) (1992)
• "It Feels Like Christmas" by The Ghost of Christmas Present, The Muppet Christmas Carol (Original Soundtrack) (1992)
• "One More Sleep 'til Christmas" by Kermit the Frog, The Muppet Christmas Carol (Original Soundtrack) (1992)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/
• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

What if…you listened to a podcast about What If…? In a universe of infinite possibilities, Michael Holland (currently post-production supervisor on The Peripheral for Amazon) finds himself once again teaming up with Paul and Arlo for a discussion of MCUTV. This time, it's the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first animated series, the multiversal What If…? Ostensibly an anthology series, the show ponders the ways in which our heroes' lives could have gone very, very differently. For their part, the gang ponders the series' relationship to the classic comic book of the same name, how the 2.5D animation allows for greater freedom than live-action, how voice acting is not the same thing as physical acting, and how–of course–everything is connected.

NEXT: we bid farewell to 2021 with the comfy, cozy The Muppet Christmas Carol.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:30 - Intro / Guest

00:04:06 - What if…there was a comic book series called What If…?

00:20:04 - What If…? (the show!)

02:19:40 - Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Changes" by David Bowie, Hunky Dory (1971)
• "Howard the Duck Theme" by Dolby's Cube feat. Cherry Bomb & Lea Thompson, Howard the Duck Original Soundtrack (1986)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/
• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/