The Fantasticast

We've been back in, re-tooled, and fixed the audio.

We're back, re-recorded and 100% kinder on your ears than the original episode would have been. This time around, Steve and Andy get to grips with the introduction of the first black superhero, The Black Panther. Will this be a measured and respectful look at tribal life in another country, or will we get caught up in hideously inappopriate and dated stereotypes? The answer lies within. We also launch our new Listener Question Of The Month. if you responded to our last question, don't worry, we haven't forgotten about it. We'll be looking at all the feedback collected from this in next week's episode as we review your favourite under-rated Fantastic Four stories. All this, and the first adventure of the incredible Doctor Spynazi! Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at fantasticflameon.wordpress.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

Hello, and welcome to the 58th episode of the Fantasticast, your guide to the Fantastic Four from the very beginning. Your hosts - Andrew Leyland (Heykids Comics) and Steve Lacey (20 Minute Longbox) are here to guide you through the contents of Fantastic Four #52, featuring the first appearance of the Black Pa- Wait, what?

Oh, right, that episode doesn't yet exist, thanks to an unfortunate piece of distortion on Andy's microphone that rendered the recording un-listenable. We'll be doing that next week, so to give you all a treat whilst you wait for this episode, have another batch of our now-legendary out-takes and introductions, this time picked from episodes 11-20.

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This special episode of The Fantasticast statistically has a high chance of something magical happening if you listen to it on the day of release. For Saturday 23rd November is the anniversary of an assassination, the anniversary of a TV show, and more importantly, the first day of the Thought Bubble Comic Convention, which both Andy and Steve are attending. So, as you listen to this episode, we may very well be facing each other, dressed in our Fantasticast t-shirts, and generally being fantastic. If you see us at the show, do say 'hi'!

If you're not in Leeds on this day, then enjoy our coverage of Fantastic Four #51, the classic one-shot story This Man, This Monster. We had a lot of fun putting this episode together, and our little post-credits tribute to Doctor Who has to be heard to be believed.

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Guided by The Watcher, The Human Torch ventures into sub-space to seek the only weapon useable against Galactus. Meanwhile, cowed by The Punisher, The Thing, Mr Fantastic and The Invisible Girl find themselves powerless against The Destroyer Of Worlds. Only the power of The Silver Surfer can halt Galactus's plans to devour the Earth.

Steve and Andy, even more unable to affect the seemingly unstoppable sequence of events, have to satisfy themselves with recording a new episode of The Fantasticast, covering the 50th issue of The Fantastic Four. Do come and join us!

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Or, as this episode proves, rather a lot of mistakes, both huge and small.

Yes, it's another fill-in show, and we can promise you no singing this time around. Except that we can't really, there will be singing. But what we can give you is a selection of the best openings and outtakes from the first 10 episodes of The Fantasticast for your enjoyment.

Steve and Andy will return next week with their coverage of Fantastic Four #50 and the conclusion of the Galactus Trilogy.

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The Jack Kirby Collector has this to say about page 2 of Fantastic Four #49: "[it's] the exact point when the 1960s super-hero comics peaked."

The Encyclopaedia Galactica also covers this subject, going into greater detail about the impact of a second splash-page at the start of the comic, conveying the majesty and scale of the two characters portrayed.

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy simply mentions that as the Earth is not about to be destroyed by a Vogon Constructor Fleet, then the events on this page must therefore be fictional, and can safely be disregarded. Unlike the Vogon Constructor Fleet.

Steve and Andy, however, find more to talk about in this comic than just one splash page, no matter how phenomenal that page is. There's the depiction of The Watcher, the arrival of the (original) Punisher, and the first meeting of the Silver Surfer and Alicia Masters. It's pretty good!

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With real life getting in the way of editing a podcast, Steve has thrown together a brief filler episode to keep you all going for the next seven days.

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MY JOURNEY HAS ENDED

THIS PLANET SHALL SUSTAIN ME UNTIL IT HAS BEEN DRAINED OF ALL ELEMENTAL LIFE

SO SPEAKS... GALACTUS!

With these words, so ends the first part of a three-part story regarded by many as the peak of Marvel's 1960s comics.

Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland tackle Fantastic Four #48, wrapping up the opening story in the saga of the Inhumans, and introducing the Silver Surfer and Galactus to the Marvel Universe.

'Nuff said!

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When would be the least-appropriate time to get a haircut? 10 minutes before you're expected to walk up the aisle? Halfway through the Mens 100m Olympic final? Or on board a plane zooming halfway around the world, chasing a myserious super-powered being who has kidnapped another mysterious super-powered being and who may very well turn against mankind?

Well, the Fantasticast is here to reveal this answer. Steve and Andy get to grips with Fantastic Four #47, as the saga of the Inhumans steps up yet another level. The Royal Family is back together, we go to Attilan tfor the first time, and we meet Maximus - but is he Magnificent or Mad?

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Who Seeks The Seeker?

Hello and welcome to the 52nd episode of The Fantasticast. There are now enough episodes for you to listen to one a week for an entire year. But it's not just about obvious and underwhelming numerical facts!

This time around, Andy's got a cold, and Steve's taken advantage of that to create the most revolting episode introduction yet. We're covering Fantastic Four #46 (in Andy's case, in a liberal dose of snot), as the Inhuman saga heats up and we get to see just how much of a badass Black Bolt is. We also find out which international celebrity spoiled the end of Breaking Bad on twitter during the record (don't worry, that spoiler is not repeated).

But most importantly of all, we launch our first listener question. We want you, lovely listener, to tell us what Fantastic Four stories you feel are underrated. When we (rightly) venerate the runs of Lee/Kirby, Byrne, Waid/Wieringo, and Hickman, which runs, stories, issue or miniseries do you feel don't get the attention that they deserve? E-mail us, tweet us, facebook us, comment us and let us know!

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