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.

This week brings another guest host to talk about the rise of an iconic hero! Andrew is the best there is at what is does and what he does is talk comics! This week, he’s joined by In A TIFF podcast host Petula Neale to talk about a comic that caused a lot of ruckus in 2001: Origin.

Release as a six issue miniseries, Origin tells the story we thought at the time would never be told. Written by Paul Jenkins with fantastic artwork by Andy Kubert, the series follows a young Logan from adolescences to manhood. It showcases the tragic events that made him the man he is today. Origin is the brainchild of then Marvel Comics president Bill Jemas. His original idea was way off base. But with the help of Jenkins and Editor in Chief Joe Quesada, Origin became one of the hottest selling comics of its era.

Join Andrew and Petula as they look at Origin from concept to completion. They examine the narrative and even compare Jemas’s original outline to the finished product. There’s also talk about Wolvie’s greatest weakness and how Andrew shares that weakness. It’s all coming your way on a very special episode of Back Issue Bloodbath. Give it a listen and enjoy, bub!

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: 09/20/19 – We review Gundala. We talk with actor Deragh Campbell of Anne at 13,000 Ft. We also have Petulla Neale back for our annual TIFF wrap up.

Show Notes:

We talk with actor Deragh Campbell. Deragh plays Anne in the film Anne at 13,000 ft, which played at TIFF19 as part of the Platform program. She’ll be on to talk about that film and more! Deragh Campbell was born in Toronto, Canada and raised in Stratford and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Hailing from a large theatre family, Deragh’s exposure to the world of show business started at a very young age. Since then, Deragh has appeared in several notable indie films including FAIL TO APPEAR, STINKING HEAVEN, THE OTHER HALF, NEVER EAT ALONE, THE INTESTINE, PERSON TO PERSON, and SELF-CRITICISM OF A BOURGEOIS DOG. In addition to acting, Deragh has writing credits on a number of her acting projects and was awarded a MacDowell Colony Fellowship for screenwriting. Coming up next, you can catch her as Anne in the highly anticipated ANNE AT 13,000 FT directed by Kazik Radwanski.

Our review of Gundala starring Abimana Aryasatya, Tara Basro and Bront Palarae. In this exhilarating actioner from writer-director Joko Anwar (Folklore), Indonesia’s preeminent comic book superhero (and his alter ego Sancaka) enter the cinematic universe to battle the wicked Pengkor and his diabolical squad of orphan assassins. The film that explores the origins of Gundala, Indonesia’s preeminent superhero, epically unfolds on screen in writer-director Joko Anwar’s latest film. A giant-size cinematic universe of comic-book characters whose astonishing exploits and uncanny abilities have for the past 50 years rivalled even those of “Earth’s mightiest heroes,” is ushered in with magnificent scope and exhilarating action. Preserving the core premise of Harya “Hasmi” Suraminta’s popular series Gundala Putra Petir, Anwar shrewdly reconceives the source material to more relevantly reflect the country’s current socio-political milieu and uniquely soaks the ascension of this storm-fuelled warrior in a dread-filled atmosphere that recalls the director’s frequent forays into horror.

We also talk with Petula Neale. Petula hosts the podcast In A TIFF and is Geek Hard’s official TIFF correspondent. Petula was at this year’s festival and will let us know which films were hits and which were misses. For more on Petula, check out her podcast.

It was a great show!

Geek Hard Extra:

Plus exclusively for our $4/month+ Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra episode we discuss TIFF and what it could to improve itself for festival-goers.

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:

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 Bloodbath, we take a trip to the Sportatorium for a hard hitting helping of indie comics! Longtime listeners of the show know that Andrew loves his wrestling……and Sammy has a very limited knowledge of “Sports Entertainment”. (Figure Four!) Last year, Andrew was introduced to a new indie comic that mixes his love of wrestling with his love of comics: Invasion from Planet Wresletopia.

Written by Ed Kuehnel and Matt Entin, with artwork by Dan Schkade, Invasion From Planet Wrestletopia is exactly as it sounds. A planet of alien wrestlers land on planet Earth, answer a television signal from 15 years prior. They confused the signal for a declaration of war. Now they’re here so their leader, Manifest Destiny, can fight the man who issued the “challenge”. The man in question is Rock n’ Roll Rory Landell, a washed up grappler who never really got his shot.

Andrew wrote a review of the first 2 issues about a year ago. A lot has happened since then, including the re-release of those issues with extra content. Join Andrew and Sammy as they go face to face in the squared circle and review the first 3 issues of the series. Andrew also chats with Ed Kuehnel about the series and finds out how it all began. It’s all coming your way in this “one fall to a finish” 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. 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: 09/13/19 – We review Freaks. We talk with actor Kelly McCormack of Killjoys. We also talk with media personality Ajay Fry about his podcast Mistakes Were Made. LIVE from Unplugged Expo!

Show Notes:

We talk with actor Kelly McCormack who has appeared on Geek Hard in the past (here and here) to talk about her role as Zeph on Killjoys. The series is just two episodes away from completing its fifth and final season. Kelly talks about that and other projects. Kelly McCornack is an award winning actor, screenwriter, musician and Executive Producer of Floyder Films Inc. Kelly’s debut feature film Play the Film won five Best Screenplay awards internationally. Her second feature film Barn Wedding released internationally with A71 Entertainment. She also produced and starred in the hit CBC digital original series The Neddeaus of Duqesne Island. Kelly is currently in post production on Sugar Daddy which she wrote and stars in alongside Colm Feore, Amanda Brugel, and Aaron Ashmore. The film is directed by Wendy Morgan and produced by Lauren Grant. Kelly currently plays science nerd Zeph on Killjoys, and trash talking hockey player Betty-Anne on Letterkenny.

Our review of Freaks starring Emile Hirsch, Bruce Dern and Lexy Kolker. Kept locked inside the house by her father, 7-year-old Chloe lives in fear and fascination of the outside world. It’s a place where Abnormals are a constant threat — or so she believes. But when a mysterious stranger offers her a glimpse of what’s really happening, Chloe soon learns that the truth isn’t so simple — but the danger is very real.

We also talk with media personality Ajay Fry who is also a long-time friend and one time rival of Geek Hard. Ajay talks about his new podcast, Mistakes Were Made. Here’s Ajay’s take on the podcast: “My goal with Mistakes Were Made is to engage interesting, successful people in thoughtful and hilarious discussions about the mistakes we’ve made and how we’ve learned and grown from them.” New episodes of the show are available on Mondays

It was a great show!

Geek Hard Extra:

Plus exclusively for our $4/month+ Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra episode we discuss sci-fi television with Kelly McCormack and Ajay Fry.

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“Child Inside” by Kate Kelly“Edge of the World” by Gaits“This Night” by Black Lab“Freak On A Leash” by Violet Orlando“Freaks” by Timmy Trumpet“Mistakes” by Lake Str...

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’s episode of Bloodbath is special for a number of reasons. Andrew takes the show on the road once again as he was on the floor at Fan Expo Canada 2019. During his time there, he got the chance to chat with prolific comic writer Matthew Rosenberg! It’s been a year since Andrew interviewed him face to face at last year’s con. This time around, they focus on a certain book that wrapped up this summer: Uncanny X-Men.

As we’re all aware, we now live in the Jonathan Hickman era of X-Men. His House of X series is the dawn of a new era in the lives of the merry mutants of Marvel Comics. This interview with Matthew is a look back on the end of the previous era as well as a dissection of Rosenberg’s time with the X-Men.

Listen as Andrew and Matthew talk about the parallels between the end of Phoenix Resurrection and Uncanny X-Men, The “Butch and Sundance” moment, the influences of Chris Claremont and Peter David, and more! There is also much talk of Jamie Madrox and Matthew’s affinity for the character. It’s all coming your way on another X-Citing Creator Interview Edition of Back Issue Bloodbath!

A special thanks to Fan Expo Canada for having Back Issue Bloodbath and Geek Hard at this year’s event.

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: 09/06/19 – We review IT: Chapter 2. We talk with actor Adam Lindo of Orange Is The New Black. We also talk with actor Lee Shorten from AMC’s The Terror: Infamy.

Show Notes:

We talk with actor Adam Lindo. Adam played a featured character in the final season of Orange Is the New Black. He played I.C.E. Agent Carlos Litvack a.k.a. Clitvack, one of the main antagonists of the season. Adam will be on to talk about that and more.

Our review of IT: Chapter 2 starring Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader. Defeated by members of the Losers’ Club, the evil clown Pennywise returns 27 years later to terrorize the town of Derry, Maine, once again. Now adults, the childhood friends have long since gone their separate ways. But when people start disappearing, Mike Hanlon calls the others home for one final stand. Damaged by scars from the past, the united Losers must conquer their deepest fears to destroy the shape-shifting Pennywise — now more powerful than ever.

We also talk with actor Lee Shorten. Lee is one of the stars of AMC’s The Terror: Infamy. Lee talks about The Terror and more! Lee Shorten is an Asian, film, television and theatre actor. He grew up in Tamworth, Australia, raised by his adoptive parents Merv and Judy. Lee’s most notable roles are Sergeant Yoshida on Amazon’s ‘The Man in the High Castle’ and Walt Yoshida on AMC’s ‘The Terror: Infamy’. He also guest-starred on Van Helsing as Master Tsui, a role specifically written for him by the Van Helsing team and recurred as on Supernatural as a fan favourite Demon. Lee has been nominated for a Jessie Award, for his portrayal of Jung in Pacific Theatre’s production of ‘Kim’s Convenience’. In 2018, Lee made his directorial debut with the award-winning Ultra Short ‘J’adoube’. Lee is committed to telling inclusive stories and continues to be a strong advocate for representation.

It was a great show!

Geek Hard Extra:

Plus exclusively for our $4/month+ Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra episode we discuss nostalgia and the fans need for it.

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“This Is My Cue” by Eliza Shaddad“You’ve Got Time (chamber version)” by Regina Spektor“I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz“Miss Me, Richie” by Benjamin Wallfisch“Spider Attack” by Benjamin Wallfisch“The Night Terror” by Lucas KingClosing 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.

On this week’s Back Issue Bloodbath, we take some time for another creator spotlight episode! Since the last one focused on Marv Wolfman, it’s only fair that this time round we focus on his late, great writing pal, Len Wein!

Probably known best as the writer who co-created Wolverine and Swamp Thing, Len Wein made major contributions to the way comics were written in the 1970s and 80s. His work as an editor was just as important as his writing as he helped usher in the Bronze Age style of comics. He’s also the guy who brought us the “international” version of the X-Men in Giant Sized X-Men #1. He co-created Storm, Nightcrawler and Colossus. It safe to say that his effect on the comic industry can still be felt today.

Join Andrew and Sammy as they look back on the many great works of Len Wein. From his days as teenage comic writer to his time as a respected editor, it’s all covered here. There’s also a strange little aside about the best-left-forgotten late 90s band Len. (What else would you expect on this show?) It’s all coming your way on an ALL NEW episode of Back Issue Bloodbath. Give it a listen and enjoy 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: 08/30/19 – We review Ready or Not. We talk with director Karen Moore about her TIFF19 selection Volcano. We also talk with James Bade & Corrado Rizza of Unplugged Expo coming Sept 13-14, 2019.

Show Notes:

We talk with director Karen Moore! She chats about her short film, Volcano, which will feature as part of the Short Cuts Programme at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Karen has been a longtime writer and producer for film and television but this short marks her directorial debut! Karen Moore is an award-winning Toronto-based film and television writer and producer. Her TV writing and producing credits include MARY KILLS PEOPLE (Hulu/Global), WORKIN’ MOMS (Netflix/CBC), ROOKIE BLUE (ABC/Global), and DETENTION ADVENTURE (CBC). Karen is the writer and co-producer of the award-winning comedy short film, MUST KILL KARL (Dir: Joe Kicak, Austin Film Festival ‘18). The film won Best Comedy at HollyShorts Film Festival (2018) and the Golden Sheaffor Best Comedy at the Yorkton Film Festival (2018). Karen wrote and co-produced the Bravo-funded short drama, YOUR PLACE OR MINE, and the award-winning short, FROZEN MARBLES. VOLCANO (TIFF ’19) is Karen’s directorial debut.

Our review of Ready or Not starring Samara Weaving, Adam Brody and Mark O’Brien. Grace couldn’t be happier after she marries the man of her dreams at his family’s luxurious estate. There’s just one catch — she must now hide from midnight until dawn while her new in-laws hunt her down with guns, crossbows and other weapons. As Grace desperately tries to survive the night, she soon finds a way to turn the tables on her not-so-lovable relatives.

We also talk with James Bade and Corrado Rizza of Unplugged Expo! Unplugged Expo is a fan convention taking place at the Japenese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto on September 13th and 14th. This time around, they’ve partnered with Cosplay Matsuri to bring you an extravaganza of fun fan goodness. There will be cosplayers, vendors and special guests! Andrew and Mr. Green will also be there as guests of the event as well! James and Corrado will be telling you all about what you can expect at the show. Here’s a little history on Unplugged Expo 6: The 2016 Unplugged Season marked a successful run for Toronto’s Geek Culture Event. After 5 years of celebrating the creativity, innovation, and passion that all geeks share, while providing a safe space for geeks of all genre’s to express themselves freely. Unplugged took an extended break from the Toronto Geek Culture scene. Now in 2019 Unplugged is back bigger and better than ever! UX6 – The Return of the Geek, promises new events, concerts, and performances from your favourite geek groups. Gaming, Events, and special guests that will entertain everyone from start to finish. Are you ready for the “Return of the Geek!”

It was a great show!

Geek Hard Extra:

Plus exclusively for our $4/month+ Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra episode we discuss nostalgia and the fans need for it.

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, we reach another milestone episode! We made it to 200! Thanks so much to everyone who’s downloaded and/or listened to our show over the past 4 years. We couldn’t have done it without you. But there’s no time to stand around and pat ourselves on the back. We got a show to bring you and it’s a good one!

Some of the greatest comic stories of all time are Done-In-One. Single Issue Stories. At one time, they were the norm in the world of comics. But as readers’ tastes mature and writers’ plots expand, they’ve become a bit of a novelty. Every once in a while, a stand alone issue will come around that truly knocks your socks off. Titles like Amazing Spider-Man, Superman, and Daredevil have had their share of great single issue stories. Even G.I. Joe has had a few. But what are the greatest single issue stories?

Join Andrew and Sammy as they present their respective TOP 5 lists for the greatest single issue stories of all time! What books will make the cut? Will Andrew and Sammy have some of the same issues on their lists? The answers to these questions and more await on the latest episode of Back Issue Bloodbath. Here we go for the 200th time!

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: 08/23/19 – We preview 2019 Fall TV Lineup. We talk with writer Ed Brisson about Ghost Rider and New Mutants. We also talk with Peter Kuplowsky of TIFF’s Midnight Madness.

Show Notes:

We talk with writer Ed Brisson! Ed just finished up a successful run on X-Force and has new titles coming this fall, including Beware The Ghost Rider and New Mutants! Ed Brisson is a comic book writer who first started to garner attention with his self-published crime series MURDER BOOK. He broke into the public spotlight in 2012 with the crime/time-travel thriller series COMEBACK. In the short time since then, he’s written and co-created four other series published by Image: SHELTERED, THE FIELD, THE MANTLE and THE VIOLENT. His self-published series MURDER BOOK was collected and released by Dark Horse in early 2015. Ed has also written for BOOM, DC, IDW and many others. He’s currently writing DEAD MAN LOGAN, GHOST RIDER and NEW MUTANTS for Marvel.

Our preview of 2019 Fall TV Lineup. We take a look at the upcoming Fall TV lineup. If you’ve listened to Geek Hard over the years, you know that we like to talk about geek and genre television at great length. We especially love to prepare you all for the new TV series that come our way. And we’ve reached that time of year again where an abundance of new shows are on the horizon. Join us as we take a look at the upcoming Fall TV season. We break down the new programs for September thru December for Network, Cable and streaming services. Take a listen and maybe you’ll hear about a new show that’ll pique your interest.

We also talk with TIFF Midnight Madness Programmer Peter Kuplowsky joins us by phone to talk about this year’s Midnight Madness lineup. If there’s one thing that Peter loves, it’s movies! He gives the skinny on this year’s crop of films.

It was a great show!

Geek Hard Extra:

Plus exclusively for our $4/month+ Patreon supporters, our latest Geek Hard Extra episode we discuss Disney news (Disney/Sony split and D23).

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“Banjo Odyssey” by The Dead South“Ghostrider” by Rollins Band“X-Force Rap” by Teamheadkick“Television Rules The Nation” by Daft Punk“Turn It On Again” by Genesis“Sometime Around Midnight” by The Airborne Toxic EventClosing Music “Kelly’s Heroes” by Black Grape