Punisher: Body Count

We made it, people! 25 Episodes of bullets, blood baths, and blue humor! Here's to 25 more! Now if I can get serious for a minute, in the beginning of this episode Jake and I promote a charity site to help out one of the Aurora shooting victims. Here is that link. Please read the guy's story and help out if you can. If you do donate or message the site, don't mention the show, as that would be inappropriate.

Introduction - Jake and I talk up our current job prospects, and then we talk about what Radio Shack and door-to-door salesmen have in common (hint: they are both awful).

Contest- The contest is still going! This one will take some prep work, though. Jake is giving away oringal splash page artwork from Punisher 2099, but he's doing it through forumforgeeks.com. If you want to win, go there and register yourself there. Once you're there, find our Punisher: Body Count thread under the podcasts section and comment in it. You don't need to be a kiss-ass (you can even saw we suck!), just comment and you're entered.

Mail Call - I summarize some of Rucka's Reddit Q & A, and we also discuss Javier's question of just how many women Frank's slept with. Finally, Tyrell Cannon stops by to asks us about the best one-eyed badasses out there. Tyrell is also the author/artist of the Gary series which covers the murders of the Green River Killer. We're going to talk up his books on the next show, but check out his work if you like the true crime genre.

Bullet Points - After our interview with Tom Jane, it only makes sense we discuss his short film Dirty Laundry. Jake and I give our take on the film, but we also cover the reactions other Punisher fans had about it. We also get to Space: Punisher #1, which is as goofy as it sounds, yet still has some charm to it.

Flashbacks - In honor of the Spider-Man and Batman movies out right now, Punisher teams up with both in this segment! In Giant-Sized Spider-Man #6, Frank and Spidey fight a weapons manufacturer named Moses Magnum, which is the most baller name known to man. Then Chuck Dixon and John Romita Jr. find their way back into the show with Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights! Come for the fights, stay for the 1337 hacking.

Discharge Papers - Jake and I discuss the Spider-Man and Batman movies, and I blow the lid off on the non-controversy of the Punisher's connection to the Executioner pulp novels. Finally, Jake and I talk up Blacksad, the noir comic that has talking animals in it and still manages to be awesome.

Hey everyone, and welcome to a very special episode of Punisher: Body Count! We finally got Tom Jane on the show, and it was a perfect time for it too! Tom Jane's company Raw Studios has been announcing a ton of new material, such as a graphic novel adaptation of The Dark Country movie he directed/starred in, and new volume to Bad Planet coming to Comixology, which is also being kickstarted by Red Fly Studio into a video game! Keep an eye out for those projects, coming to book stores and comic shops near you! Also, he made a short Punisher fan film with a Ron Perlman cameo, so that's pretty neat I guess. And by "neat" I mean unimaginably brutal and cool.

Tom Jane called us after a long weekend at San Diego Comicon, where he chatted with us for an hour and then gave us the link to the short film itself, only hours after it premiered at his panel! The guy is one of the hardest workers in the entertainment business, and it was a pleasure having him on the show. If you haven't already, go click that Raw Studios link above, check out his site, peruse his forums, and give his crew some props.

Here are some highlights of the interview where Tom:

-Wonders how I knew about his cat

-Brings us up to date on what he and Tim Bradstreet are releasing from Raw Studios, as well as his dream film projects

-Discusses how Avi Arad and Tim Bradstreet got him to play the Punisher, a character he originally turned down!

-Talks about feelings on the 2004 Punisher film he starred in

-Explains how his Punisher fan film came together

-What the Punisher means to him as a character and how he believes he should be handled

-Shoots the shit with us about muscle cars and cigars

-Tells us how to play the Hollywood game, and why it's worth it in the end

We hope you enjoy the interview as much as we did. Stick around after the interview to hear Jake's instructions on how to win the contest we're running in honor of our upcoming 25th episode!

If you'd like, hit us up on iTunes or RSS.

Episode 23: Now with more bumpers! You'll know what I mean when you listen to the beginning and end of the show. Today we're going to get through a bunch of comics, especially an arc I've been looking forward to in Flashbacks, so strap in!

Introduction - Jake and I talk about our 4th of July celebrations, including me getting punked out by a five-year old, and Jake having a plan to beat the crowd backfire on him. Later on, I bring up some Punisher news about the "This is War!" event Marvel is putting out, which will include the Punisher: War Zone title being resurrected.

Contest- We're doing another contest! This one will take some prep work, though. Jake is giving away oringal splash page artwork from Punisher 2099, but he's doing it through forumforgeeks.com. If you want to win, go there and register yourself there. It will take approximately two weeks for the registration to be finalized. We will give you more info in the next podcast.

Mail Call - Our fans make and send us cool things, and we try to give credit, where credit is due. Blackstone also sends us an email asking us about how we feel about fanfiction and what it takes to become a writer for the Punisher. It's an interesting discussion.

Bullet Points - Ennis serves us a war best served cold in Fury: Cold Warrior #1-4. Here we see Fury recall his years in Indochina and training guerillas to overthrow Castro, killing and screwing every step of the way. Greg Rucka's Punisher #13 has us a bit disappointed since Marco Chechetto is missing on art, but it's still a great spy/espionage story.

Flashbacks - What can be said about Punisher War Zone #1-6? A lot, apparently. Considered by many to be an iconic turning point in the Punisher's publishing history, as Frank starts getting much more brutal and methodical on crime, and a colder personality in general. Chuck Dixon is on words, the controversial (at least between us) John Romita Jr. is on pencils, and Klaus Janson is on inks. If you find these comics the back bin or in a trade, pick it up. Also,

Discharge Papers - I am the last one to get Garageband on my iPad, and I am losing my shit over it. I also watched John Carter and Black Dynamite, both of which need to be seen by you right now. Jake also got

Stay after the show for a message from show producer Arnold Schwarzenegger!

Welcome back to episode 22, where we ease back into our standard programming. In today’s episode we explain a mix up with Tom Jane and make one too many masturbation jokes in the Flashbacks section.

Introduction – Jake talks about how he’s living the real life Office Space movie, and I reveal that my dad listened to a podcast episode. I also discuss a local carjacking and my time chatting with a guy dealing with multiple personality disorder.

Mail Call – We clear up the Tom Jane thing, and Blackstone asks us if a PG-13 Punisher movie is possible. Justin then asks us about the limits who Frank will kill, including under 18s. We also discuss what we all assume Frank does off-panel to make us okay with all of his killing.

Bullet Points – We help Marvel squeeze blood from a dead and buried stone by reluctantly discussing Untold Tales of the Punisher #1. The best thing we can say is that it’s a self-contained story. I then laud Greg Rucka’s Punisher #12 as a masterful thesis on how Frank can continue his warrior’s journey past the classic vigilante arc, and Jake thinks it’s okay.

Flashbacks – Did you know that in the 80s and 90s Marvel had a war series called The ‘Nam? Guess who was a guest star in said series? Punisher Invades The ‘Nam includes issues #52 and #53 of the series, and includes one of Frank’s earliest behind-the-lines sniping mission. It’s awesome.

Discharge Papers – We talk about a shitty Wall Street Journal article, and I get really depressed about Before Watchmen’s Minutemen and Silk Spectre. Jake also talks upBlacksad, which I’m all on board with. I then start running out of gas and try to explain why God Bless America is both a cartoonish, yet socially important movie.

Stay tuned, people. We’ve got some cool stuff planned for the summer!

Today we bring you a very special episode where we interview Mike Baron, the man who wrote the first Punisher on-going, but still has a lot of other projects going on that you should know about. But first thing’s first: The tyrannical FCC has come down on us for talking about butt fucking and voodoo too much, so we needed to do a PSA to avoid jail time. We refused due to moral disagreements, but we compromised by getting Chris Patton to do a bumper for us, so props to him.

Introduction – Jake and I catch up on our lives as he talks about his new internship and I talk about trying out for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, failing, but getting offered some coke as a consolation prize. Jake also brings an audio clip that shows how much of a Don Juan he is.

Mail Call – Fan of the show Andrew asks us if other family members of Frank or Maria have been in the comics, and what their thoughts were on Frank’s actions. Jake and I weigh in on the problems and possibilities..

Interrogation Room – Mike Baron comes on the show and tolerates our questions about the Punisher, horror comics, and Superfoot. Once again, we thank Mike for taking time to speak with us, and we highly recommend you pick up the May issue of Dark Horse Presents if you’re a Nexus fan!

Bullet Points – We “discuss” Jason Aaron’s and Steve Dillon’s Incredible Hulk #8, and by that I mean we wonder why anyone let’s Dillon draw the Hulk and who would ever want to see Hulk fighting more mutated dogs.

Flashbacks – In honor of Mike Baron’s interiew, we review Punisher v2 #11 and 12, which involve Native American drug trips and mini-copters. Overall, we really liked them!

Discharge Papers – I talk up the two comics I got from Forbidden Planet, Paul Pope’s100% and Henry + Glenn Forever. Jake makes fighting words against two other podcasts with his dislike over Flex Mentallo‘s narrative, and I put on my literary analysis hat as a counter-point. We then bring up our Important Opinions on the gay Green Lantern that DC has released to the news outlets. We also announce our new contest winner!

Today in celebration of that superhero movie people keep talking about, we are having a special Avengers-themed podcast today in Flashbacks and Discharge Papers. Regardless of how you felt about the movie, I think we can all agree that Joss Whedon now has some powerful leverage for getting Firefly back on the air. Haha, just kidding, Firefly is never coming back.

Introduction – Jake regales us with the ungodly amount of money he paid for business casual clothes, his tablet choices for his mother-in-law, and shop talk about fixing his car. I discuss the god complex I get when I look down on Smart cars from my Jeep Commander and I vow to not to use any swear words for the rest of the show as a personal challenge. ALSO, we announce a new contest, so listen in!

Mail Call – A new fan of the show Josef asks us how we feel about “posers” wearing Punisher merchandise and breaks my mind with his second question. Blackstone brings us back to reality by asking us how Punisher show look physically and just how good of a melee fighter should he be.

Bullet Points – We turn to Greg Rucka’s Punisher #11, where my opinion on Colak’s art changes and Jake makes a startling connection on the villain of the moment. Also, Rucka does us a solid by answering a question of ours on Twitter.

Flashbacks – In celebration of the new Avengers movie, we review Mark Millar’s Ultimate Comics: Avengers 2 #1-6, which had ultimate Frank Castle get shanghaied into Nick Fury’s black ops group to take down the Ghost Rider. Is it a hollywood-style romp like Enemy of the State or something out of Satan’s colon a la Unfunnies? Tune in to find out.

Discharge Papers – Jake and I weigh in on the Avengers movie, where I complain about “magic arrows” in a world with robot men, flying ships and talking gods. Jake also discusses a handful of movies he’s seen lately, and I talk up Mandrake, the HBO series you’re not watching but totally should.

At long last, we make good on our promise to bring a contest winner on the show to discuss his favorite Punisher comics, and it’s friend of the show Will Strack! While waiting in your Soviet bread lines to see the midnight showing of the Avengers, how about giving our podcast about crackheads and memes and 80mm rocket launchers a listen?

Introduction – We get caught up on things with Will, like him dealing with a new baby, and I talk about the much more pressing issue of high ticket prices for midnight showings.

Mail Call – Blackstone asks us about if Frank is best with or without sidekicks or companions. Hilarity ensues.

Bullet Points – We wrap up Omega Effect with Daredevil #11.

Flashbacks – Our conversations about guns in Punisher Armory #3 and #4 quickly devolve into discussing the semi-abusive relationship Frank has with Microchip and talking about how nutty Frank’s anecdotes get.

Discharge Papers – I can’t stop talking about Cabin in the Woods, Jake talks about his new comic purchases and Will brings up Little House on the Prairie, with surprising results! Also, did you know there are Robocop vs. Terminator comics? Well, you do now. We also discuss the quagmire of changing stuff up in comics, and the push-back creators get when they go “too far.”

What the hell is wrong with you, listening to podcasts? Don’t you have finals to study for? Well, we appreciate your sacrifice.

Introduction – I reveal a new segment I’m working on, Jake asks me what possessed me to try out for the Real World, a tragedy happens in Jake’s home, and so much more. We also give some minor news on upcoming Punisher titles.

Mail Call – Blackstone asks us who should direct and star in the next Punisher movie, and asks us about a show that I’m sure is fine but never watched.

Bullet Points – We cover a bit of Daredevil #10.1, but mostly the first two Omega Effect comics, Avenging Spider-Man #6 and Punisher #10. Waid, Rucka, and Chechetto are manning this party, so it’s great.

Flashbacks – We hail Carl Potts as the architect and pusher for the Punisher, and then we cover his own personal baby, Punisher: War Journal #1 and #2. And speaking about babies, well, we’ll just leave you to it. It’s a bit awkward, yet heartfelt.

Discharge Papers – Jake criticizes Hunger Games, I give my rebuke. We also discuss Flash Point, which has a cop that is a Loose Cannon and a Police Chief that is Too Old For This Shit. Also, drop kicks and grapples. I also discuss the future of comics, called AvX: Infinite #1 and get really mad at the comic book industry for being childish.

So we paid some podcast consultants, and from their investigations they discovered our viewing demographic craves more discussion on the following topics:

• Frank Castle’s surveillance and make up kits
• Battle van schematics
• Marvel’s current art practices
• Monorails
• Car problems
• Can there be a thing as too much beard?
• Hair pulling during sex

And if that’s the case, then by God you will love this podcast.

Introduction – We talk about the sorry state of our lives, and I bring up how Shaq proves monorail conductors aren’t pilots. We also talk about two new Punisher series coming out this summer, which are SPACE: Punisher and Untold Tales of Punisher MAX.

Mail Call – One of our listeners ask us who would make a good writer or artist on the Punisher. We also get asked who is our favorite Punisher sidekick/team-up member.

Bullet Points – We discuss Greg Rucka’s Punisher #9. In summary: The story, even with its sudden turn toward the Omega Effect crossover, is solid, but the fill-in art does not deliver. This spirals out into us complaining into Marvel’s current publishing strategy.

Flashbacks – Friend of the show Will Strack suggested and wanted to discuss Punisher Armory #1 and 2 with us, but due to the birth of his child, he couldn’t make it. We soldier on and discuss a series of Punisher books that don’t have the Punisher in it — only his guns and equipment. We bring up some history on the book and discover how Eliot Brown is the true Punisher Super-fan, and how Frank is a giant nerd about his gear.

Discharge Papers -We’re a little light on the material, where I discuss Jonathsn Hickman’s awesome comics and get pleasantly surprised by Kick-Ass 2. Jake brings up the show Comic Book Men because he hates me. We also discuss Dr. Seuss books and get excited for Flashpoint (the movie).

Welcome to Punisher MAX’s funeral. Please check your gun(s) at the door and take a seat. The mourning will continue afterwards at the facebook fan page.

Introduction - Life’s busy for me and my co-host, but that gives us some cool stories to tell you, bro.

Mail Call - We have a healthy mail bag this time around. We answer which was the best Punisher movie, who could make the best Punisher/Predator crossover, and much more!

Bullet Points - We review Punisher MAX #22. I won’t go into much of what we talked about here, but suffice it to say that we’re both sad to see the series go, and that the greater death in it was a narrative one, which we describe later on in the segment.

Flashbacks - We review Hearts of Darkness and Ghost Rider Vol. 2 #4-5 in honor of the Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance movie. There’s kind of a nice symmetry here, as the comics match the quality of the movie — somewhat entertaining, but not worth going out of your way to see.

Discharge Papers -I bitch about the problem with equating time to currency in the movie In Time and Jake talks about Walking Dead’s fans should probably chill a little.