The Captioned Life Show

Podcaster & creator Ellie Khanverdi of “All Day With Ellie” joins Sean in reviewing the latest film from Marvel and Sony Pictures Animation, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. They discuss their thoughts on the storytelling, the various themes of the movie, the artwork in the animation, their favorite breakout Spider-characters, and what they hope will happen in the next film, Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse. 

They also touch on the challenges with movies about multiverses, their favorite non-comic book movies, and what comic books they are reading.

THIS WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT: Comic Logic Books & Artwork

Ellie Khanverdi is a Canadian content creator and podcast host who's deeply passionate about geek culture. Her podcast, "All Day with Ellie" (or "The All Day Show"), delves into topics like comic books, movies, and geek/pop culture overall. Ellie's passion and knowledge bring together a diverse group of enthusiasts, creating dynamic and engaging discussions within the geek community. She also creates content on social media, connecting with fellow geeks worldwide. Ellie's goal is to inspire and entertain her audience while fostering a sense of community within the geek community.

Comic Logic Books & Artwork is northern Virginia's most exciting comic book store. They carry a full inventory of single issues, trade paperbacks, and custom artwork.

• Episode Page - “#103 Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse With Ellie Khanverdi”
• Ellie Khanverdi’s Podcast & Social Media Accounts
• EPISODE SPOTLIGHT - Comic Logc Books & Artwork
• MOVIE INFO - Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
• A CAPTIONED LIFE REVIEW - Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
• Episode #102: First Appearances Of Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, & Spider-Man 2099 With Matt Meyer
• Our Blog of Comics, Movies, & Series Reviews, Top 5 Lists, and Announcements
• Comic Watch
• Apply To Be A Reviewer For Comic Watch
• Join The Illuminicasters’ Discord
• The Captioned Life Show website

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Comic Watch Editor-In-Chief Matt Meyer joins Sean in reviewing the first comic book appearances of Miles Morales (Spider-Man), Gwen Stacy (Spider-Gwen), and Miguel O’Hara (Spider-Man 2099) to celebrate the premiere of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse on June 2nd. They discuss the history and universe each character is a part of, their origin story on how they became a Spider-Hero, and compare and contrast their representation in the comics with their counterpart in the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse animated film.

They also touch on their own Spider-Man origin stories, the character’s popularity across the globe & cosplays at comic conventions, how nerdom went from a subculture to popular, and what comic books they and the show's listeners are reading.

THIS WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT: Bat Lessons Podcast

Matt Meyer has been reading, collecting, and loving comics for over thirty years! He’s humbled and honored to be a part of Comic Watch since 2018, and Editor in Chief since 2021. By day, he’s a social worker helping the less fortunate find housing and go from surviving to thriving… giving hope might just be his superpower! He’s also a husband and father to three wonderful kids. He’s lived in Oklahoma City his whole life and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Bat Lessons Podcast is a Batman history podcast that covers characters, stories, writers, artists, movie directors, business, politics, and more. Everything in and around Batman. They start at the very beginning and work their way chronologically through 80 years of Batman.

• Episode Page - “#102 First Appearance: Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen,& Spider-Man 2099 With Matt Meyer”
• SPOTLIGHT: Bat Lessons Podcast
• Miles Morales’ First FULL Appearance (Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 - September 14th, 2011)
• Spider-Gwen’s First Appearance (Edge Of Spider-Verse #2 - September 14th, 2014)
• Spider-Man 2099’s First Appearance (2099 Unlimited #1 - May 4th,1993)
• Our Blog of Comics, Movies, & Series Reviews, Top 5 Lists, and Announcements
• Comic Watch
• Apply To Be A Reviewer For Comic Watch
• Join The Illuminicasters’ Discord
• The Captioned Life Show website

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Comic book publisher Mark Bell joins Sean in talking about his comic book publishing company, Plague Doctor Press. They discuss how important it is for Mark to have inclusive creators and content for his books, the challenges in starting a comic book publishing company and creating a Kickstarter campaign, and what he hopes for the future of comics.

They also touch on their love for hockey, meeting up at Indiana Comic Con, and what comic books they and the listeners of the show are reading.

Mark Bell is a devoted father, loving husband, a passionate podcaster, comic creator, and dedicated media educator. He is also the publisher of Plague Doctor Press, which has successfully kickstarted and released two books: "S.P.I.R.I.T." and "ZED." With an unwavering commitment, Mark actively cultivates a diverse and inclusive space within the realm of comics.

Outsider Comics is a queer and trans worker-owned local comic book store located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, WA. They cater to comic readers of all ages and experience levels and they are proud to host an LGBTQIA+ inclusive environment.

You can find the latest graphic novels, single issues of comics, zines, and items made by local artists and crafters, gifts, and much more in their store. You can also find a curated selection of our inventory in their online store.

• Episode Page - “#101 Plague Doctor Press With Mark Bell”
• Website - Plague Doctor Press
• Twitter - Plague Doctor Press @PlaguePress
• Instagram - @PlagueDoctorPress
• SPOTLIGHT - Outsider Comics
• Our Blog of Comics, Movies, & Series Reviews, Top 5 Lists, and Announcements
• Comic Watch
• Apply To Be A Reviewer For Comic Watch
• Join The Illuminicasters’ Discord
• The Captioned Life Show website

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In a special live recording via YouTube, educator and co-creator / former show co-host Kevin Stahlecker joins Sean in celebrating 100 episodes of The Captioned Life Show. They discussed how the show started, where they’ve gone, and where they plan to go. Sean and Kevin look at how much the show has grown, the most popular episodes by listens, the episodes that they personally loved, and what they loved about doing the show.

They also touch on their future plans of doing a series of “Was It Great Or Were We 8,” what guest they’ve had on that would make an awesome regular co-host, the 100th episode giveaway winner, and what comic books they and the listeners of the show are reading.

Kevin Stahlecker is a long-time comic book and superhero fan, and as a public educator, he is constantly finding new ways to weave his love of pop culture into the classroom. He's also a co-founder and former cohost of the Captioned Life Podcast.

• Episode Page - “#100 - The Captioned Life Show Celebrates 100 Episodes!”
• Join The Illuminicasters’ Discord
• Our Blog of Comics, Movies, & Series Reviews, Top 5 Lists, and Announcements
• Comic Watch
• The Captioned Life Show website

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Writer and editor Richard Nebens join Sean in reviewing the latest film by Marvel Studios, Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3. They discuss how well the music is used in this movie, the entire arc of the team’s trilogy, how much the holiday special was involved, the fighting scenes, and the various character developments from all the characters on the team. 

They also touch on great-looking beards, how much they hate click-bait websites, what diegetic means, how much they’re looking forward to Deadpool 3, Groot Jitsu, and what comic books they and the listeners of the show are reading.

Richard Nebens is the senior writer and assistant editor for TheDirect.com, where he has worked since early 2020. He specializes in the MCU and all things Marvel, but he also has a beat on Star Wars, the DC Universe, and the movie world as a whole. On top of his passion for sports and music, Richard is an evolving fan of movies and TV shows, taking in new content regularly while sharing news on the best and latest from Hollywood and the entire industry.

• Episode Page - “#99 Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3 With Richard Nebens”
• MOVIE INFO: Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3
• Richard Neben’s bio from The Direct
• Richard Neben’s Twitter @RichardNebens
• Richard Nebens’ Instagram @RichardNebens
• Richard Neben’s Reddit @rnebens
• Our Blog of Comics, Movies, & Series Reviews, Top 5 Lists, and Announcements
• Comic Watch
• Apply To Be A Reviewer For Comic Watch
• Join The Illuminicasters’ Discord
• The Captioned Life Show website

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Ashton Greenwood of Diamond Comic Distributors joins Sean on the show to talk about Free Comic Book Day 2023. They discuss how this popular comic book day got started, what titles from comic book publishers will be part of this event, what fans can expect this year, and what the future holds for Free Comic Book Day.

They also touch on Halloween ComicFest, Archie horror comics, their favorite Star Wars characters, how Baskin Robbins inspired Free Comic Book Day, what opportunity Marvel may have missed out on, and what comic books they and the listeners of the show are reading.

Ashton Greenwood is the Associate Marketing Manager for Diamond Comic Distributors, handling PR, advertising opportunities, social media, and, of course, Free Comic Book Day and Halloween ComicFest. Also known as the Duchess of Free Comic Book Day, she can often be found hyping up those free comics on social media and probably obsessing over whatever title Archie is offering. Obnoxious Star Wars fan, self-proclaimed Jughead stan, and queen of hot takes.

• Episode Page - “#98 Free Comic Book Day With Ashton Greenwood”
• ARTICLE: Three Tips For Free Comic Book Day (from "The Captioned Life")
• Free Comic Book Day Information
• List of Free Comic Book Day Titles
• Free Comic Book Day on Facebook
• Free Comic Book Day on Twitter
• Free Comic Book Day on Instagram
• Free Comic Book Day on TikTok
• Our Blog of Comics, Movies, & Series Reviews, Top 5 Lists, and Announcements
• Comic Watch
• Apply To Be A Reviewer For Comic Watch
• Join The Illuminicasters’ Discord
• The Captioned Life Show website

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Comic Watch reviewer Kevin Rossi joins Sean to review DC Comics’ Batman/Superman: World’s Finest Volume 1 (issues 1-5) by author Mark Waid, artist Dan Mora, colorist Tamra Bonvillain, and letterer Aditya Bidikar. They discuss how Waid and Mora's style tells a unique story of Superman and Batman, some of their favorite moments from the series, how they loved the new suit when Batman and Superman merged, and how the story takes inspiration from some of the Silver Age stories of DC Comics.

They also touch on how outdated Supergirl's skirt is, and what comic books they and the listeners of the show are reading, which includes The Riddler Year One, Lord Of The Rings, Daredevil, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and more!

Kevin Rossi is a Rhode Island native with a deep appreciation of language, writing, and design. As an English professor, he incorporated his love of pop culture and comic books as much as possible into his lectures and class discussions.  He has been lucky enough to be part of Comic Watch since 2019 and recently went back to school to study graphic design. He currently lives in Providence, RI with his spouse and their two cats. You can find him on social media, @bronconova on Twitter and @kevyrossi on Instagram

The official description from DC Comics:

The Dark Knight. The Man of Steel. They are the two finest superheroes that the world has ever known…and they’re together again in an epic new series from the legendary talents of Mark Waid and Dan Mora!

In the not-too-distant past, Superman’s powers are supercharged from a devastating chemical attack by the villain Metallo…and the only ally that the ultra-powerful Man of Tomorrow can turn to in this turbulent hour is Gotham’s own dark vengeance: the Batman. A nearly fatal burst of power drives Bruce Wayne to his own extreme measures to help his friend…enlisting none other than the Doom Patrol for aid. It’s the World’s Greatest Super Heroes from the world’s greatest talent in an epic collection experience that kicks off the next big events in the DCU. Get ready, it’s time to soar.

• Episode Page - “#97 ‘Batman/Superman: World’s Finest’ With Kevin Rossi”
• Batman/Superman: World’s Finest (2022) Series Info
• Kevin Rossi On Twitter @BroncoNova
• Kevin Rossi on Instagram @KevyRossi
• Kevin Rossi’s reviews on Comic Watch
• Our Blog of Comics, Movies, & Series Reviews, Top 5 Lists, and Announcements
• Comic Watch
• Apply To Be A Reviewer For Comic Watch
• Join The Illuminicasters’ Discord
• The Captioned Life Show website

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Writer Ed Brisson and artist John Timms join Sean in discussing their current work with DC Comics, Batman, Incorporated. They discuss the work that went into creating the Batman-inspired crime-fighting team, how Grey Wolf was an original character that became an instant hit, and what fans can expect with the upcoming introduction of Joker, Inc. in the upcoming arc of the series.

They also touch on Ed and John’s favorite activities outside of comics, what comics blew Ed’s mind when he was a kid, and what comic books they and the listeners of the show are reading.

Ed Brisson is a comic book writer who first started to garner attention with his self-published crime series, Murder Book which was collected and released by Dark Horse in early 2015. He broke into the public spotlight in 2012 with the crime/time-travel thriller series Comeback (Shadowline/Image Comics). 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. Ed has also written for Boom! Studios (Sons Of Anarchy, Cluster, The Last Contract), Marvel (Secret Avengers, Secret Wars Battleworld, Dead Man Logan, Ghost Rider, New Mutants), DC Comics (Batman & Robin Eternal, Batman Incorporated), IDW Publishing (TMNT/X-Files Conspiracy), and many others. He's been nominated for the Joe Shuster Award for Best Canadian Writer several times. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with his wife and daughter.

John Timms is a Costa Rican comic artist who has worked in animation and comics.

He studied graphic design at the University of Costa Rica. In addition, he worked as a 2D and 3D animator in commercials, some television series, and short films, one of them Vita, which won the award for best animation at Animafest in Puerto Rico. As a comic book artist, he has worked with Marvel and exclusively for DC Comics for the last 8 years. His best-known series are Harley Quinn, Young Justice, and most recently, Superman Son of Kal El. He has been nominated twice for the GLAAD Awards with Harley Quinn and Superman, Son of Kal El. He has also worked on video games and other audiovisual media. He works from his home in Costa Rica on the Batman Incorporated series for DC comics.

• Episode Page - “#96 Batman Incorporated With Ed Brisson And John Timms”
• Ed Brisson’s website
• John Timms’ website
• DC Comics’ Batman Incorporated
• Sean’s reviews of Batman Incorporated
• Join The Illuminicasters’ Discord
• Our Blog of Comics, Movies, & Series Reviews, Top 5 Lists, and Announcements
• Comic Watch
• The Captioned Life Show website

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Ken Maney, the host of The ODPH Podcast, joins Sean to review Age Of Apocalypse by Marvel Comics. The 1995 storyline includes the 4-part series “Legion Quest” from the X-Men and Uncanny X-Men series, then the six-issue main event from X-Men Alpha, Astonishing X-Men, and X-Men Omega. They do an overview of the series, their favorite key moments or aspects of the series, and what changes they would have liked to see. 

They also touch on the story behind Ken’s podcast name (Ocho Duro Parlay Hour), why they hate the idea of niches, how comic book origin story questions are not that original, and what comic books they and the listeners of the show are reading.

Ken Maney is the Executive Producer/Host of the ODPH (Ocho Duro Parlay Hour) Podcast, along with being co-Host of 607 TWS: The Wrestling Show podcast. He also does weekly Comic Book Reviews for the ODPHpod & Nerd Initiative. Ken is also a freelance Pro Wrestling Blogger and an all-around fan of Sports, Movies Tv, Comics, and Pro Wrestling

• Episode Page - “#95 Age Of Apocalypse With Ken Maney”
• “Age Of Apocalypse” Series Info (Note that this list includes many issues that the episode did not cover)
• The ODPH Podcast
• Our Blog of Comics, Movies, & Series Reviews, Top 5 Lists, and Announcements
• Comic Watch
• Apply To Be A Reviewer For Comic Watch
• Join The Illuminicasters’ Discord
• The Captioned Life Show website

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Lifelong comics fan Bumpkins joins Sean to review DC Comics’ Batman Beyond: Neo-Year by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Max Dunbar, Romulo Fajardo, Jr., Sebastian Cheng, and Aditya Bidikar. They do an overview of the series, their favorite key moments or aspects of the series, and what changes they would have liked to see. They discuss their own origin story with the Batman Beyond property, the great work done by the creative team (especially by the letterer), and how the story’s depiction of AI may not be too far off from today’s reality.

They also touch on how bad ChatGPT is with finding information on the comic series, their own origin stories with Batman Beyond, Will Freidle, Sean’s TikTok rival DannYOmanny, and what comic books they are reading.

Matt, aka Bumpkins, is a comics fan of over 30 years and a lifelong fan of almost everything in the nerd realm.

• Episode Page - “#94 ‘Batman Beyond: Neo-Year’ with BumpkinsTV”
• Series Info On Batman Beyond: Neo-Year
• Bumpkins’ Social Media Accounts
• Our Blog of Comics, Movies, & Series Reviews, Top 5 Lists, and Announcements
• Comic Watch
• Apply To Be A Reviewer For Comic Watch
• Join The Illuminicasters’ Discord
• The Captioned Life Show website

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