Podcasts Archives - Geek Hard

Originally Aired: 01/27/17

We discuss the news of the week. The death of one of the funniest woman ever on TV Mary Tyler Moore. The 50th anniversary of the Apollo I tragedy that killed Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee.

We talk with film critic Richard Crouse, who curated this year’s lineup for the Flashback Film Festival (brought to you by Cineplex). Coming to 24 cities across Canada this February, the festival celebrates some fan favourite films from the past by giving you a chance to see them up on the big screen once again. Richard is a well known film critic and author who’s put together a mix of big action, smart drama and heartwarming films from the 80s and 90s for fans to enjoy, including the likes of Bladerunner (The Final Cut), Fight Club, Jurassic Park, The Princess Bride and more! Richard Crouse is the regular film critic for Canada AM and CP24. He was the host of Reel to Real, Canada’s longest running television show about movies, from 1998 to 2008 and is a frequent guest on many national Canadian radio and television shows. His syndicated Saturday afternoon radio show, The Richard Crouse Show, originates on News Talk 1010 in Toronto. He is  the author of six books on pop culture history and writes a weekly column for Metro newspaper.

Our review of xXx: Return of Xander Cage starring Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen and Deepika Padukone. Synopsis: After coming out of self-imposed exile, daredevil operative Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) must race against time to recover a sinister weapon known as Pandora’s Box, a device that controls every military satellite in the world. Recruiting a new group of thrill-seeking cohorts, Xander finds himself entangled in a deadly conspiracy that points to collusion at the highest levels of government.

We also talk with Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol, the stars and creators of Nirvanna the Band the Show. What started as a web series back in the late 2000s is now a 10 episode television program premiering on Viceland on February 2nd. Matt Johnson rose to prominence in the independent film world with his film The Dirties and has since followed it up with Operation Avalanche. When the opportunity came up to make a show for Vice, he decided to “bring the band back together” with a new take on his former web show. Matt and Jay will be on to talk about the series that follows one band who will stop at nothing to book a show at the Rivoli in Toronto….except, just ask to be booked like normal human beings. For more on Nirvanna the Band the Show, check out the Viceland website.

It was a great show!

Plus for our Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra After Credits segment discussing the Oscars nominations announced this past week.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Production Credits:

Geek Hard Logo – Candice Hibbard and Rich Robbins

Technical Production – Gary LaBarr, Recorded at the Reality Radio 101 Studio

Producers – Andrew Young & James Green

Music Credits:

Opening Music “Eterna Teen” by Mark Holman

“Call You Queen” by Haley Bonar

“Misirlou” by Dick Dale

“Born Slippy” by Underworld

“Vin Diesel, Nice Man With Big Muscles” by Papa Razzi and The Photogs

“Action Movie” by Sky-Pony

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Sammy Younan as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

The Man of Steel. The Man of Tomorrow. Clark. Superman is known by many names. A character that’s been around for almost ninety years, Supes has been called many things from a symbol for truth, justice and the American way to a big, blue fascist. He’s also been shown in many roles such as a mild-mannered reporter and a leader of the Justice League. Comic creators have explored many different avenues with the character since his creation in 1938, but only recently has the role of father been introduced. These days, in the pages of Superman, written by Peter Tomasi with artwork by Patrick Gleason, Clark and Lois are raising their own super-son, Jonathan. Jon’s powers are beginning to manifest and a whole new set of growing pains are setting in. But with a Super-Dad, these changes should be easy, right?

Join Andrew and Sammy as they take a look at the first 12 issues of the Rebirth Superman series. Is it as great as all the critics are saying? Does it give new perspective to the Superman character? Is it a high octane adventure comic the likes that hasn’t been seen from Big Blue in awhile? Find out the answers to these questions and more on an ALL NEW episode of your favourite comic book podcast, Back Issue Bloodbath.

A very special thank you to listener Rob Gaudette for suggesting the comic series for this episode.

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

 

Originally Aired: 01/20/17

We discuss the news of the week. Tesla snags Apple programmer Chris Lattner to work on their Autopilot software. Sony announces a Spider-man animated feature starring the Miles Morales Spider-man. CBS & Paramount finally settle with producer Alec Peters of Prelude to Axanar the Star Trek fan-film.

Our review of Split starring James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy and Haley Lu Richardson. Synopsis: Though Kevin (James McAvoy) has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all of the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey, Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him — as well as everyone around him — as the walls between his compartments shatter.

We also talk with comic creator and YA Novelist Mariko Tamaki. Mariko has just recently had two new comic titles released – Supergirl: Being Super for DC and Hulk for Marvel. She talked to us about both series and what to expect in the coming issues for Kara Danvers and Jennifer Walters in their respective books. Mariko Tamaki is a Canadian writer living in Oakland. Works include New York Times bestseller This One Summer (First Second/Groundwood Books) and Skim (Groundwood Books), with Jillian Tamaki, Emiko Superstar (DC Comics), with Steve Rolston, and the YA novel (You) Set Me on Fire (Penguin Canada). This One Summer was the winner of Printz and Caldecott Honors in 2015 and received the Eisner for Best Graphic Album (New).

It was a great show!

Plus for our Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra After Credits segment discussing the latest Logan and Power Rangers trailers released this past week.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Production Credits:

Geek Hard Logo – Candice Hibbard and Rich Robbins

Technical Production – Gary LaBarr, Recorded at the Reality Radio 101 Studio

Producers – Andrew Young & James Green

Music Credits:

Opening Music “Eterna Teen” by Mark Holman

“Hold On” by Midnight Pilot

“Wildewoman” by Lucius

“Tied to You” by Neil Halstead

“Always be a Fool” by Midnight Pilot

“Why Won’t You Stop” by Plumtree

“Tomorrow” by Branches

Closing Music “Kelly’s Heroes” by Black Grape

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Sammy Younan as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

This week, we take another trip in the way-back machine to a simpler time in superhero comics: 1984. This was the year that Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars first hit the comic shelves and changed the industry as we know it. Never before had Marvel had all their heroes face all their villains in a winner-take-all throwdown between good and evil. Originally launched as a comic tie-in to a new Marvel toyline at Mattel, the book would go on to be a sales leader for the year and take both Marvel and DC down the big crazy road that is the Comic Event Book! While the book is now iconic, one can’t help but notice the silly name, which Writer Jim Shooter explained was the result of a Mattel focus group. Silly name or not, the title has become considered one of Marvel’s greatest miniseries. But should it still be considered as such?

This week, Andrew and Sammy take a look at Marveil Super Heroes Secret Wars and debate on whether it should still hold a spot among the greatest Marvel comics of all time. With art by Mike Zeck, there’s no denying that it still looks awesome. Has it aged well? That’s the question we try to answer on an ALL NEW Back Issue Bloodbath.

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

 

Originally Aired: 01/13/17

We discuss the news of the week. CW announces that they are renewing all 4 current DC Berlanti-verse shows, yes even Legends of Tomorrow is coming back. Marvel announced that Brian Micheal Bendis will be writing a new Defenders comic based on the team that will appear in the Netflix Original.

We talk with actor and fellow nerd Ryan Robbins. Ryan has graced us with his presence before but not for awhile. His last appearance on the show was all the way back in 2011. Listen as we catch up and he tells us all about his new series, Pure, which airs Monday nights on CBC. Pure is the story of Noah, a Mennonite Minister who must deal with criminals using his community to smuggle drugs. Ryan gives us the details on this new drama and more! A character actor, Ryan Robbins is constantly reinventing himself, aspiring to keep each character fresh and unique. He has been cast in recurring and lead roles on television series such as Arrow, Hell On Wheels, Ascension, Falling Skies, Continuum and Sanctuary to name a few. Ryan has a strong passion for independent films and has won several awards for his performances in these productions. A multi-nominated and winning receipt of the prestigious Canadian Leo Award, honouring the best in film and television, he also won the Best Actor Award in a feature at the Sacramento Film Festival. For more on Pure, check out the CBC Website.

Our review of The Bye Bye Man starring Douglas Smith, Lucien Laviscount and Cressida Bonas. Synopsis: People commit unthinkable acts every day. Time and again, we grapple to understand what drives a person to do such terrible things. But what if all of the questions we’re asking are wrong? What if the cause of all evil is not a matter of what…but who? When three college friends stumble upon the horrific origins of the Bye Bye Man, they discover that there is only one way to avoid his curse: don’t think it, don’t say it. But once the Bye Bye Man gets inside your head, he takes control. Is there a way to survive his possession?

We also talk with Jade Tailor. Jade plays Kady on the Syfy series The Magicians. The second season of The Magicians begins airing on January 25th at 9pm and Jade talks about her experiences working on the show. Jade Tailor appeared in a recurring basis in the TNT series Murder in the First, and the NBC series Aquarius, opposite David Duchovny. She also appeared in HBO’s True Blood and the NBC series Vegas, among others.On the big screen, Tailor appears in the Lorenzo Di Boneventura film Higher Power, a sci-fi thriller about a regular guy who acquires the power of a demi-God.  She also starred in the thrillers Cam2Cam and Altered Perception. Tailor currently splits her time between Los Angeles and New York.

It was a great show!

Plus for our Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra After Credits segment discussing Apple’s recent rumour of possibly adding an app to better allow texting in theatres.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Production Credits:

Geek Hard Logo – Candice Hibbard and Rich Robbins

Technical Production – Gary LaBarr, Recorded at the Reality Radio 101 Studio

Producers – Andrew Young & James Green

Music Credits:

Opening Music “Eterna Teen” by Mark Holman

“Out of the Dark” by Nada Surf

“Mennonite Man” by Lindsay Thomas Morgan

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Sammy Younan as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

Every hero needs a villain. In the case of comic book superheroes, they need A LOT of villains. There always need to be new antagonists to fight. New nemesis to foil. New obstacles in the path. Because of this, bad guys are churned out at an alarming rate. The high volume leads to villain fatigue. We either get a bad guy that feels too generic to leave an impression or a tried and true villain that loses its luster due to overexposure. Why do so many villains end up being a write off?

This week, Andrew and Sammy take a look at Bad Guys. We talk the good, the bad and the ugly of the cape and mask crowd and attempt to decipher why great villains are great and so many do not live up to their standards. We also look at how a creator can take a “lame” villain and turn him into a winner. It’s all in the story, kids. A villain is only as weak as the writer that’s writing them. Join us as we dissect the anatomy of a villain and build it back up again in our own image. All this and more is waiting for you on an ALL NEW episode of Back Issue Bloodbath.

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

 

Originally Aired: 01/06/17

2017 is finally here! Geek Hard is celebrating the same way they do every year: by taking one final look back on the previous year and declaring what was the Best of the Best.

Join us for a special 90 MINUTE episode where we count down the Best of the Best in comics, television and movies from 2016. What was the best ongoing comic series of the year? Batman, Saga, Thor, something else entirely? What was the best T.V. series? Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, The Flash are all previous winners. One hint though this marks the first year Mr. Green doesn’t have Last Week Tonight on his list. How ’bout the best film? With Ghostbusters, Moana, Doctor Strange and so many more to choose from. These questions are answered by Andrew, Mr. Green and our special panel of judges. So who’s on this panel? Why non other than two of Geek Hard best and brightest, we were joined by our expert panel: Adrienne Kress and Kris Johnson.

Adrienne is best known outside of Geek Hard for her middle grade and young adult novels. Here, she has many titles: The First Lady of Geek Hard, The Sentinel of Hope, The Highest Common Denominator….etc. The list goes on, and yes she gets another new one on this episode. Kris Johnson is a Jack of All Trades and has worn many hats on the show. He’s essentially the third man of Geek Hard. Green hates him……but then again, Green hates a lot of people.

You’re not going to want to miss this fantastic critique of entertainment from 2016. You might find out about a show or a book or a film that you missed. You could also get confirmation that you’re not crazy and that thing you loved this year was in fact the Best of the Best. Only way to find out is to listen.

It was a great show!

Plus for our Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra After Credits segment where the four of us continue to talk about some other things that we liked but didn’t make our Best of lists for 2016.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Production Credits:

Geek Hard Logo – Candice Hibbard and Rich Robbins

Technical Production – Gary LaBarr, Recorded at the Reality Radio 101 Studio

Producers – Andrew Young & James Green

Music Credits:

Opening Music “Eterna Teen” by Mark Holman

“You’re the Best!” by Joe Esposito

“Astronaut’s Hymn” by PDX Broadsides

“Unmasked” by Leslie Hudson

“Winter Soldier” by Pulled from Panels

“Captain’s Mess” by Leslie Hudson

“Geek’s In Love” by Rock, Paper, Cynic, (ft. The Doubleclicks)

“Left Hand Free” by alt-J

“Sabotage” by Beastie Boys

“Hate Rap” by More Or Les (ft. Wordburglar)

Closing Music – “Simply the Best” by Tina Turner

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Sammy Younan as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

Back in 1987, DC Comics was going through a great deal of changes. In the fallout of Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC’s first (but definitely not last) major comic event book to reset their continuity, many a comic title was getting revamped, retooled or rebooted. In the case of the Justice League, the title was put in the hands of Keith Giffen, J.M. Dematteis and Kevin Maguire and nothing would ever be the same. The trio took this comic to where it had never been before, riding the line between a high humour book and an action/adventure epic. Using what some may consider “second or third string” heroes, the creative team carved out a very special place for themselves in DC Comics history. The series was met with a strong fan following and had a successful run into the mid-90s. But all good things come to an end……and are reborn again?

In 2003, Giffen, Dematteis and Maguire were given another run with the characters they had so much fun with almost 2 decades before. The result was a 6 issue miniseries, Formerly Known As The Justice League, where the band gets back together to work as heroes for the common man, The Super Buddies. Lead by Maxwell Lord, the team consisted of Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Ralph and Sue Dibney, Fire, Captain Atom and new recruit Mary Marvel. Was this series a nostalgic return to glory or a retro mess? Find out as Andrew and Sammy look back at Formerly Known As The Justice League on an ALL NEW Back Issue Bloodbath.

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

 

Originally Aired: 12/30/16

It’s been a big year for Geek Hard. We had great guests and good times on the show as we look back on the year that was 2016.

Last winter, Geek Hard passed 300 episodes and Andrew and Mr. Green had a party! Grant Morrison and Groot were there too! The Spring brought us Captain America: Civil War, and with it came the return of Geek Hard Theatre. The summer months brought us a visit from Matthew McConnaghey (not really sure that was him) where he broke down the true meaning behind the beloved 80s classic, Transformers: The Movie. And in the Fall, Andrew pissed off Mr. Green by singing Sarah McLaughlin over his Patreon pitch. All in all, a good year. You’ll get to hear these moments all over again (or for the first time if you missed your previous chance).

That’s not all! We also share excerpts from the many interviews we did this year with some of the great actors and creators that graced our little program, including: Robin Dunne, Melissa O’Neal, Henry Zebrowski, Meaghan Rath, Adam Ray, Tiffany Smith and Carolina Bartczak. We had a lot of fun chatting with these actors and you’ll remember why as we revisit the “Ghosts of Former Guests Past”.

There’s still even MORE great stuff coming your way as we play a previously unreleased clip from this past November’s Geek Hard Live! with Kristian Bruun and Tamsen McDonough. There’s also a look back on the many feuds that our humble hosts have kept going with team Geek Hard members Kris Johnson and Leslie Hudson as well as InnerSpace host Teddy Wilson. It’s all in good fun….the fun of fighting.

It was a great show!

Plus for our Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra After Credits segment where we play our favourite review of the year for Mechanic: Resurrection.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Production Credits:

Geek Hard Logo – Candice Hibbard and Rich Robbins

Technical Production – Gary LaBarr, Recorded at the Reality Radio 101 Studio

Producers – Andrew Young & James Green

Music Credits:

Opening Music “Eterna Teen” by Mark Holman

“The Show Must Go On” by Three Dog Night

“The Good In Everyone” by Sloan

“Supersonic” by Oasis

“Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Presidents of the United States of America

“Fight” by The Tragically Hip

“Heartache Tonight” by Conway Twitty

Closing Music “Kelly’s Heroes” by Black Grape

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Sammy Younan as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

Bond. James Bond. Is there a name better known in pop culture when it comes spy stories? 007 has always had a license to kill and he’s assassinated the box office on multiple occasions with a highly celebrated film franchise. You may not know this but the character started out as the star of a book series. It’s only fitting that Bond return to the world of literature with this great new comic from the good folks at Dynamite Entertainment.

Written by Warren Ellis with illustrations from Jason Masters, this is the first James Bond comic to be published in 20 years and is fully authorized by the Estate of 007 creator Ian Flemming. While there are some flourishes from the movie universe, this is straight up, old school Bond set in a modern era. Ellis is planning to follow the timeline set in the original novels, so expect to see less gadgets and more bad-assery ahead. If you’re looking for exploding pens and the like, take that shit somewhere else. Join Andrew and Sammy as they take a deep dive into the first story arc of the comic series: VARGR. They also take a dip into the waters of the second arc, EIDOLON, which reintroduces Spectre with a more militant tone. All coming your way on an ALL NEW Back Issue Bloodbath.

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!