Podcasts Archives - Geek Hard

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.

25 years ago, the comics industry was in the middle of a speculation boom. Collectors were coming out of the woodwork, buying up as many “special issues” and variant covers as they could. It was a time of chromium covers and big pecs and pouches. Decadence reigned supreme! At that same time, a four issue miniseries was released that captured Marvel’s past and became the gold standard at the House of Ideas. The comic was Marvels.

Painted by the soon to be superstar Alex Ross and written by Kurt Busiek, Marvels tells the story of the Marvel Universe in the Silver (and a bit of the Golden) Age of comics. What makes it different from other retellings of origins is that it’s from the perspective of a regular New Yorker: photo-journalist Phil Sheldon. Phil shows us the view of the common man as they look up to the sky and take in the Marvels that have appeared before them, changing the world as they know it. The series has continues to capture the imagination of comics fans, two and a half decades strong.

Join Andrew and Sammy for a retrospective one of Marvel Comics’ greatest offerings in the modern era. We talk about each issue and give our thoughts on the attempted follow-ups to the series. It’s a fun walk down memory lane. Give it a list and enjoy the Marvels in your life.

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. And be sure to join our Facebook page for exclusive content. Support us on Patreon.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Originally Aired: 11/29/19 – We review Knives Out. We speak with actor Ayisha Issa of Transplant. We also speak with actor Darren Lipari of 21 Bridges

Show Notes:

We also talk with actor Ayisha Issa. Ayisha appears in the CTV Medical Drama Transplant upcoming in 2020. She’ll be on to talk about that and more this Friday. Ayisha Issa is an award-winning bilingual actress from Montreal. Her career in acting took off following her landing a role opposite Micky Rourke, Henry Cavill, Luke Evans and Kellan Lutz in the 2011 epic fantasy Immortals. On the small screen, Ayisha plays Dr. June Carter on the upcoming medical drama Transplant and has had recurring roles on the popular series Dark Matter, 12 Monkeys, and Workin’ Moms. She also made her mark in video games as fan favourite playable character Fliss in Man of Medan with Shawn Ashmore and as Jayma in Far Cry Primal.  

Our review of Knives Out starring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas. When a crime novelist dies just after his 85th birthday, an inquisitive detective arrives at his estate to investigate. He soon sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind the writer’s untimely demise.

We talk with actor Darren Lipari. Darren appears in 21 Bridges, which hit theatres last Friday. He’ll be on to talk about the film and more. Darren Lipari is an actor, writer and filmmaker born and raised in Long Island. Darren is known for work in TV on Mr. Robot, FBI, and Person of Interest. In 2015, Darren wrote, directed and starred in the documentary short Cop #2. Cop #2 is a comedic, cathartic response to auditioning for “blue-collar” one-liner roles in the world of TV and film. Darren can be seen as Lt. Kelly in 21 Bridges. The film is produced by the Russo Brothers and stars Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller and J.K. Simmons. 21 Bridges is in theatres now.

It was a great show!

Geek Hard Extra:

Plus exclusively for our $4/month+ Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra episode we discuss some Rise of Skywalker theories.

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 StudioHosts/Producers – Andrew Young & James Green

Music Credits:

Opening Music “Eterna Teen” by Mark Holman“Seashore” by The Regrettes“Quiet Hearts” by Amy Stroup“You Make Me Forget” by Peter Panic featuring Emily Spalding“Animal Zoo” by Spirit“Sweet Virginia” by The Rolling Stones“Mask Off” by Future featuring Kendrick LamarClosing 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.

Two weeks of Petula Neale! She’s back on Bloodbath to talk with Andrew about the latest Captain Marvel series from Kelly Thompson and Carmen Carnero! It’s no secret Andrew’s a fan of Thompson’s work. He had Kelly on Geek Hard back in January to talk about the launch of this series. Now he gives his review along with Petula on the first story arc and beyond!

 As Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers has spent months in space protecting Earth from alien threats big and small, but now it’s time for Earth’s mightiest hero to come home. But just as soon as Carol is back on the scene in New York, she’s flung into action to fight the Nuclear Man. No big deal, right? Except that ol’ Nuclear’s turned Rosevelt Island into his own misogynistic paradise. Cap’s gotta deal with that, yes she does.

Listen as Andrew and Petula talk about Carol and her rag tag band of merry women as they battle it out in Mad Max-like fashions to rid the world of a villain that dresses like a Russian Pimp. It’s all par for the course on the latest episode of Back Issue Bloodbath. Give it a listen!

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. And be sure to join our Facebook page for exclusive content. Support us on Patreon.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Originally Aired: 11/22/19 – We review Frozen II. We speak with actor Tamara Almeida of Ghostwriter. We also speak with comic creator Jason Loo of After Lift.

Show Notes:

We talk with actor Tamara Almeida. She is one of the stars of Ghostwriter, the reboot of the popular 90s children’s series on AppleTV+. She talks about the show and more. Tamara Almeida is a bilingual actor and producer born and raised in Toronto, Canada. She is a first-generation Canadian of Chilean and Ecuadorian descent. Her first big break came when she was cast as Anna in the Hallmark TV movie ENTERTAINING CHRISTMAS. Tamara stars in her biggest role yet as Young Grandma Tess in the highly anticipated Apple TV+ series GHOSTWRITER. Tamara can also be seen as Carmen in the new short film DATE NIGHT. The short premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Shorts Film Festival.

Our review of Frozen II starring Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel and Josh Gad. Why was Elsa born with magical powers? The answer is calling her and threatening her kingdom. Together with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, she’ll set out on a dangerous but remarkable journey. In “Frozen,” Elsa feared her powers were too much for the world. In “Frozen 2,” she must hope they are enough.

We also talk with comic creator Jason Loo! Jason provides art for Afterlift, a Comixology Original written by Chip Zdarsky. The comic follows a driver for a ride-share app who’s next customer requests a ride to the afterlife! Jason talks about this comic and more! Jason Loo is a Toronto-based cartoonist who got his start freelancing illustration work for magazines, newspapers, and educational books for children. In 2014, Jason created Toronto’s pretty decent superhero The Pitiful Human-Lizard. The comic series follows a thirty-something office clerk who finds a more fulfilling purpose in his life as a (struggling) superhero. Other comic works by Jason include a short story for volume three of Toronto Comic Anthology and art for volume five of Kill Shakespeare (IDW Publishing). Currently, Jason is the comic artist of the Comixology Originals title Afterlift with Eisner Award-winning comic writer Chip Zdarsky.

It was a great show!

Geek Hard Extra:

Plus exclusively for our $4/month+ Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra episode we review She Never Died that played at the Blood in the Snow Film Festival

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 StudioHosts/Producers – Andrew Young & James Green

Music Credits:

Opening Music “Eterna Teen” by Mark Holman“Home for a Rest” by Spirit of the West“Book of Days” by Enya“The Date Song” by The Crashtones“All is Found” by Kacey Musgraves“Into The Unknown” by Idina Menzel and Aurora“The Lyft Song” by Chloe TemtchineClosing 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.

It’s another guest host week! In A Tiff Host Petula Neale returns to join Andrew in checking out the latest hero from the mind of Brian Michael Bendis: Naomi!

Naomi: Season One had a six issue run this past summer as part of the Bendis curated Wonder Comics imprint at DC. When a fight between Superman and Mongul crashes through a northwestern town, a local teen by the name of Naomi has some questions. These questions have to do with the last time a super human passed through her neighbourhood. They also connect to her own ominous origin and adoption. It’s a mystery! It’s an adventure! Stop, you’re both right.

This comic has all the trappings of a coming of age hero story in the DC Universe. Somehow, it finds a way to give all the usual tropes a new spin. Join Andrew and Petula as they take a look at this six issue comic tale written by Bendis and David F. Walker with artwork by the amazing Jamal Campbell. You’ll find out more about the DCU’s latest orphan! Always a crowd pleaser. Give it a listen on the latest episode of Back Issue Bloodbath.

A special thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of Naomi: Season One, available now. Pick up yours today.

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. And be sure to join our Facebook page for exclusive content. Support us on Patreon.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Originally Aired: 11/15/19 – We review The Divine Fury available 11/19/19. We speak with actor Mayko Nguyen of Titans. We also speak with actor Mayumi Yoshida of The Man in the High Castle.

Show Notes:

We talk with actor Mayko Nguyen. Mayko is best known for her performances as Delle Seyah Kendry on Killjoys and Sarah Truong on Hudson and Rex. She’s also popped up in the most recent season of Titans. She’ll be on to talk about all these projects and more! Mayko Nguyen grew up in Vancouver and before working on the feature Going the Distance she appeared in a number of short films including Great Expectations, Sophisticated Boom Boom, and Devitrified. Nguyen has had lead and recurring roles on a variety of television series, including Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, Cracked and Slasher. Nguyen’s most notable television roles are Mayko Tran on ReGenesis, Sue Tran on Rookie Blue and Delle Seyah Kendry on Killjoys. Mayko plays Sarah Truong on the series Hudson & Rex.

Our review of The Divine Fury starring Seo-joon Park, Sung-Ki Ahn, Do-Hwan Woo. After losing his father at a young age in a terrible accident, Yong-hu (Park Seo-jun) abandons his Christian faith and chooses to only believe in himself. Now as an adult, Yong-hu is a champion fighter and has everything he has ever wanted, that is until a mysterious wound appears in the palm of his hand. He solicits help from a local priest Father Ahn (Ahn Sung-ki), hoping the priest can help relieve him of the painful markings only to find himself in the middle of a dangerous fight against otherworldly evil forces seeking to wreak havoc on the human world.

We also talk with actor Mayumi Yoshida. Mayumi plays the Crown Princess on The Man in the High Castle. A character featured in the first season of the series, she returns for the final season coming to Amazon this Friday. Mayumi Yoshida is originally from Tokyo, Japan, but lived in many places during her childhood, including Washington D.C. and Brussels. While living in Tokyo, Mayumi explored her love of theatre and starred in over 20 theatre productions. In 2010, she moved to Vancouver to pursue her dream of being an actor. In 2017 Mayumi combined her love of directing, playwriting, and acting and made her debut as a filmmaker with the short film “AKASHI”. Since then she has made 7 short films and altogether has won over 20 awards worldwide. Mayumi has also become a talent on the rise in TV. She has had roles on such TV shows as Cult, Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce, The Good Doctor, The Terror: Infamy, and The Man in the High Castle.

It was a great show!

Geek Hard Extra:

Plus exclusively for our $4/month+ Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra episode we review The Mandalorian.

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 StudioHosts/Producers – Andrew Young & James Green

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 on Back Issue Bloodbath, Andrew is joined by another guest host: Adam Sikora! Adam is a longtime friend of Andrew’s. He’s also a former contributor to geekhardshow.com. Back in 2016, he provided deep comic book analysis in his column, All Along the Watchtower. Adam joins us this week to provide his knowledge on one of the more strange super teams to come out of the DC Comics pantheon, The Legion of Superheroes.

The Legion of Superheroes first appeared in Adventure Comics #247, all the way back in 1958. They originally debuted as supporting characters from the future for Superboy to pal around with. A group of teenage superheroes from the 30th Century. What’s says “Silver Age Comics” more than that?Shortly after, they proved popular enough to get their own comic series. Over the decades, they’ve had quite the storied yet bizarre history.

Has there been a more retconned super team than The Legion of Superheroes? They’ve been rebooted, revamped, relaunched, reimagined and any other kind of reshaping that can happen to a comic book. Various incarnations of the team have appeared over the past 30 years and each creative team has given it’s own unique spin. Now Brian Michael Bendis has launched his version The Legion of Superheroes, which has caused some fans to scratch their heads and ask, “just who the hell are The Legion of Superheroes, anyway?” Adam answers that question for you and Andrew, who is admittedly not a fan of the Legion.

Join Comic Boy and Literature Lad (two names that could totally be in a Legion comic) for the history of The Legion of Superheroes. Take a listen and you just might learn something. Andrew sure did.

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. And be sure to join our Facebook page for exclusive content. Support us on Patreon.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Originally Aired: 11/08/19 – We review Doctor Sleep now in theatres. We also speak with actor Romaine Waite of Frankie Drake Mysteries. We also play Andrew’s interview with actor Precious Chong of Homewrecker.

Show Notes:

We play Andrew’s sit down interview with actor and writer Precious Chong, recorded during the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Precious co-wrote, produced and starred in the horror-comedy Homewrecker. The film played at Toronto After Dark 2019 as well as Fantasia and Fantasticfest earlier this year. Andrew and Precious talk about the film as well as her writing and acting style.

Our review of Doctor Sleep starring Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson and Kyliegh Curran. Struggling with alcoholism, Dan Torrance remains traumatized by the sinister events that occurred at the Overlook Hotel when he was a child. His hope for a peaceful existence soon becomes shattered when he meets Abra, a teen who shares his extrasensory gift of the “shine.” Together, they form an unlikely alliance to battle the True Knot, a cult whose members try to feed off the shine of innocents to become immortal.

We talk with actor Romaine Waite. Romaine plays Bill Peters on the CBC’s Frankie Drake Mysteries. Romaine talks about his role on the show and more! Romaine Waite was born in Jamaica and raised in Canada. Romaine found his love for performing at an early age when he took drama at his high school. After a small stint in theatre, Romaine would make the transition to film and television with his first network appearance in MURDOCH MYSTERIES. Shortly after, he was cast as a recurring co-star role in the Stephen King adaptation of THE MIST. Since then, Romaine has appeared in several other film and television productions including 12 MONKEYS, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, SCHITT’S CREEK, PRIVATE EYES, THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE, THE STRAIN, STAR TREK DISCOVERY, SHADOWHUNTERS: THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS, LITTLE DOG, Canadian sci-fi horror film ANTISOCIAL and action feature SCRATCH. Romaine appears in FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES as series regular Bill Peters. 

It was a great show!

Geek Hard Extra:

Plus exclusively for our $4/month+ Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra episode we review The Girl on the Third Floor starring Phil “CM Punk” Brooks.

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 StudioHosts/Producers – Andrew Young & James Green

Music Credits:

Opening Music “Eterna Teen” by Mark Holman“Snake in the Garden” by Kirby Krackle“Stay” by Lisa Loeb“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper“Come Fly with Me” by Frank Sinatra“The Overlook” by The Newton Brothers“Gin Fizz” by Andre Jaume featuring Bill Stewart, Anthony Cox, Clyde Criner and Joe McPheeClosing 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.

After a brief hiatus, Back Issue Bloodbath‘s Creator Spotlight RETURNS! This week, we take a look at the works of a writer who’s made his mark on the comics world for the past two decades: Jason Aaron.

Originally discovered during a Marvel talent search in 2001, Jason Aaron has had success at Marvel, Image and Vertigo with gritty stories filled with heart. These days, he’s mainly associated with Thor, but he’s left an impression on a number of characters. He’s had memorable runs on Wolverine, PunisherMAX, Ghostrider, Doctor Strange, Wolverine and the X-Men, and even Star Wars. He’s also produced memorable creator-owned stories like The Other Side, Scalped, Southern Bastards and The Goddamned. The guy’s written some Conan stories as of late too. He knows his way around a bad-ass story. Aaron tells tales about tough guys with heart. That’s tough but fair.

Join Andrew and Sammy as they dissect some of the works of Jason Aaron. We give much love to his Punisher and Wolverine runs. We also show great respect for his beard. If you want to hear more about Aaron’s comic contributions, give Back Issue Bloodbath a listen. It’s good times. You don’t have to take my word for it. Listen right now! Just click the button. You can thank me later.

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. And be sure to join our Facebook page for exclusive content. Support us on Patreon.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Originally Aired: 11/01/19 – We do our wrap up of Toronto After Dark Film Festival. We play Mr. Green’s interview with director Alice Waddington of Paradise Hills and we also play Andrew’s interview with actor Jonas Chernick of James vs His Future Self.

Show Notes:

We play Mr. Green’s interview with director Alice Waddington about her latest film (and TADFF19 selection) Paradise Hills. The movie stars Emma Roberts, Awkwafina and Milla Jovovich. Paradise Hills tells the story Uma, a teen girl who wakes in a school to reform rebel girls. Alice Waddington was born in Bilbao, in a family with both Hispanic and Latin heritage and a rural background; to a psychologist and a teacher. Her mother was the first woman in her family to attend university. In 2014, with the help of Mexican producer Yadira Ávalos, she spent a year writing and pre-producing a short film. Her first narrative 11′ 30” – minute piece, ‘Disco Inferno’ (2015) obtained nominations in 67 international film festivals including fan favourites such as Palm Springs, Fantasia, Sitges or Fantastic Fest, which first awarded her as Best Director and Silver Feature Film Project of its film market. Twelve other international festival wins ensued. Her first feature, Paradise Hills is available on-demand and digital on November 1st.

Our wrapup of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. The festival ran from October 17th to 25th at the Scotiabank Theatre. We’ll be giving you reviews on some of the best features and shorts we saw at the Festival. Want to know about the latest in horror and genre films? We give some suggestions of what to keep an eye out for.

We also talk with actor and writer Jonas Chernick who sat down with Andrew for an interview during TADFF19 to talk about James vs. His Future Self. Jonas is the co-writer, producer and star of the film alongside Daniel Stern and Cleopatra Coleman. The movie follows James, a scientist obsessed with time travel that is visited by his future self, Jimmy (played by Stern), who warns him to give up his dream of becoming a time traveller. Jonas Chernick is an actor/screenwriter. He co-wrote and starred in Lucid, a feature film that premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival and won the City TV Award for Best Western Canadian Feature Film at the 2005 Vancouver International Film Festival. He has played recurring roles on the comedy series Living in Your Car and Degrassi: The Next Generation. Other appearances include Covert Affairs, Saving Hope, King, The Listener, Haven, Being Erica and This Is Wonderland. Jonas co-wrote and produced James vs. His Future Self with director Jeremy Lalonde, who he worked with previously on the comedy How to Plan An Orgy in a Small Town.

It was a great show!

Geek Hard Extra:

Plus exclusively for our $4/month+ Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra episode we discuss the launch of Apple TV+ and the first batch of shows.

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 StudioHosts/Producers – Andrew Young & Jame...