The Fantasticast

Emergency Fill-In Episode

Hello, and welcome to episode 243.5 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

Due to a sudden hoarseness caused by screaming guest vocals on notable Evanescence songs a little too much, Steve and Andy find themselves hamstrung by the dreaded deadline doom, and have to resort to diving into their Patreon archives, released the first two installments of Steve & Andy vs The Fantastic Four (Cartoons). In this Patreon-only extra podcast, we provide episode commentaries for the various Fantastic Four cartoons. For this episode, it's the first two episodes of the 1967 Fantastic Four series - Menace Of The Mole Men, and Diablo. As well as this, Steve chats about his experiences hosting comics panels at the recent London Film and Comic Con, particularly those featuring future Fantastic Four writer Marv Wolfman.

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Diagnosis: Moider!

Hello, and welcome to episode 243 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, we're heading into hospital with The Thing, The Human Torch, Dr Donald Blake, Thor, half of Black Sun, and Seth. It's Marvel Two-in-One #22, which features the only available doctor in New York and the Egyptian god of death stalking the hall of the hospital in which he works. Bill Mantlo, Ron Wilson, and Pablo Marcos join forces for the first of two consecutive Two-in-One issues to feature the same credited guest star.

Then we're off to the realm of Andy's nightmares to take a look at our first ever TV tie-in comic. The Electric Company comes to Marvel comics in Spidey Super Stories #20, in which Spider-Man, the Human Torch, and the Invisible Girl, to defeat Mysterio and his hateful hate ray of hate. You know, like Mysterio always has.

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Bitten By A Radioactive Tornado

Hello, and welcome to episode 242 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, to celebrate our coverage of Fantastic Four #177, both Steve and Andy have been placed into restraints and forced to witness the auditions of their replacements. Which is appropriate, as the centrepiece of this issue sees the Frightful Four on the hunt for a male replacement for the team. It goes about as well as you'd expect...

Roy Thomas, an uncredited Mike Friedrich, George Perez and Joe Sinnott bring the Frightful Four to the heart of the Baxter Building, in a tale full of eager wannabes, Texas Twisters, surprise guests, queued vengeance, and brutish doppelgangers. Hang on to your overcoat - this one has more villains than any issue seen to date!

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

A Pig In A Tartan Waistcoat

Hello, and welcome to episode 241 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, we're delving into the realm of never-reprinted* comics with Marvel Two-in-One #21, in which a licensing-defying•• Doc Savage crosses the boundaries between one fictional universe and another, coming golden-face-to-rocky-face with the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing. Bill Mantlo, Ron Wilson and Pablo Marcos push against the boundaries of how to tell a superhero story in 1976. Well, for half an issue at least.

But that's not all! We're also rummaging through the opening pages of Captain Marvel #47, in which Mar-Vell does not make a good showing of himself, and Rick Jones makes up an entire friendship. Following this, we get into a snowball fight with The Thing in few pages from Marvel Treasury Edition #13. It's a bumper episode of The Fantasticast, for your listening pleasure.

*Oh, Marvel Masterworks: Marvel Two-in-One vol. 3 got solicited this week, with this issue included in it, you say?

**Well, not any more. Bloody Marvel. Ruining our podcast since Tuesday of this week.

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

George Perez Saves Stan Lee!

Hello, and welcome to episode 240 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, we're arriving at the much-anticipated Fantastic Four #176, in which The Impossible Man shatters the fourth wall, causing havoc and mayhem in the Marvel Bullpen. With a Jack Kirby cover inspiring the action, Roy Thomas, George Perez and Joe Sinnott pull out all the stops, puncturing egos and giving cameos to just about everyone in the Bullpen.

Joining us for this madcap comic is frequent podcast e-mailer, comic book inker, and lifelong Fantastic Four fan Charles Yoakum. Together, we attempt to identify every single creator cameo, play a round of Starlin or Salicrup, and try and squeeze the entire show through Steve's Poppuppian filter. (It's a joke about an important piece of podcasting equipment, you see.) (Not, admittedly, a very good joke.) (Ah, well...)

Charles can be found at http://charlesyo.com/, and his blog at http://inkdestroyedmybrush.blogspot.co.uk/

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Swastika Fidget Spinner

Hello, and welcome to episode 239 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, we're finally bring to a completely satisfying (honest, guv) conclusion this multi-annual story involving multiple divergent World War IIs, time-travelling vibranium, mimetic Watchers, and underwhelming period superhero teams. Yes, it's Marvel Two-in-One #20, featuring the Liberty Legion, in their last attempt at standing in the spotlight in the 1970s.

Returning to join us for this episode is Michael Bailey, currently the most prominent Liberty Legion fan to be found within this episode. He's here to try and explain how gyroscopes can affect the power of brain and eyeballs in a jar welded to a giant flying swastika, and to show us why Gerry Anderson hipsters are the worst of the puppet hipsters.

Michael Bailey is the host of numerous podcasts, including From Crisis To Crisis: A Superman Podcast, Views From The Longbov, The Overlooked Dark Knight, the upcoming Married With Comics, and the upcoming It All Comes Back To Superman. All of these, as well as his comics blogging, can be found at http://www.fortressofbaileytude.com/

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

The Podcast With Everything But Yuuuul Brynner!

Hello, and welcome to episode 238 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, we're doing something new on The Fantasticast. Marvel Two-in-One is going giant sized with Annual #1. Picking up the story threads of Fantastic Four Annual #11, the Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Thing heads back to World War II (via the world's slowest time machine), teaming up with the Liberty Legion to retrieve half of a vibranium cylinder. As you do.

Returning to The Fantasticast to help us cover this issue is former guest-host, voice of The Thing, podcaster, and fan of obscure World War II superhero teams, Michael Bailey. He's on hand to explain Roy Thomas's Time Wedge, The Thing's things, and exactly what happens when you find yourself rubbing against the crotch seams of the trousers of time.

Michael Bailey is the host of numerous podcasts, including From Crisis To Crisis: A Superman Podcast, Views From The Longbov, The Overlooked Dark Knight, the upcoming Married With Comics, and the upcoming It All Comes Back To Superman. All of these, as well as his comics blogging, can be found at http://www.fortressofbaileytude.com/

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Bobblehead Galactus

Hello, and welcome to episode 237 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

It's an anniversary week at The Fantasticast, as we get to grips with the not-super-sized Fantastic Four #175. The High Evolutionary and Galactus are finally getting down to the battle for Counter-Earth, and the Fantastic Four can do little more than stand by and watch. A solution seems almost... impossible...

Roy Thomas and John Buscema (inking himself) present the first ever final ever Galactus story, concluding a tale that began with a giant golden gorilla, and ensuring that the life of Ben Grimm will never be the same again until the next time his life will never be the same again. All this, included in the limits of Galactus's peripheral vision.

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

The Inessential Tigra

Hello, and welcome to episode 236 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week on the show, we're taking a look at the history of the Cat People, as Tigra - The 61st Sexiest Female Character in comics, according to CBG - arrives in both the Baxter Building and Marvel Two-in-One #19. Tony Isabella, Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema and Don Heck introduce an actual Were-Woman (don't think about it) in a book described by one of the team for this episode as "like reading gas."

Joining us for this episode is Gary Lactus, live from his spaceship in space. Gary's a lifelong Fantastic Four fan (although this issue may have affected this passion somewhat, and one of the hosts of SILENCE!, a fantastic comics podcast. Together, we discuss the nomenclature of Greer Nelson - Happy Housewife, the misadventures of Benjamin 'Shagger' Franklin, and exactly how Ben Grimm sleeps at night.

Find Gary on SILENCE!, every week at mindlessones.com. Gary's civilian alter ego Fraser Geesin releases comics, short films, and more at frasergeesin.com. Follow Gary on twitter where he is @frasergeesin. And, if you like the very last thing in the show, you can find more at http://mindlessones.com/2012/12/24/silence-night-holy-shit/

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

I Drove My Fantasticar Through Your Haystack Last Night

Hello, and welcome to episode 235 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, we continue our journey through the story of the High Evolutionary / Galactus war for the very existence of Counter-Earth. Ben and Reed find themselves inciting revolution on Torgo's planet of robots, whilst Johnny and Gorr go jousting on a suspiciously-cliched medieval planet. Well, I say Johnny does this - what he actually does is literally tread water for half a comic.

Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Joe Sinnott present Fantastic Four #174, containing unusual armour, a life-changing admission, a cunning disguise, a discussion of why Reed isn't working (both literally and figuratively), and someone spoiling the Planet of the Apes. Some of those things might be us.

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.