The Fantasticast

Andy's Amazingly Awesomely Authentic American Accent

It's challenge week over at The Fantasticast, as a surprising e-mail to the show leads Andy into uncharted vocal territory.

Fantastic Four #36 sees a whole slew of firsts for the title. The Wizard and Paste-Pot Pete escape from Strange Tales, The Sandman transfers over from Amazing Spider-Man, and we get the first ever appearance of a member of the Inhumans - Medusa. Then, in Strange Tales #130, Steve and Andy's American accent get to grips with a guest-appearance by none other than... The Beatles.

Joining us at the very end of the episode (and at no other point) is Beatles and Marvel Comics podcaster Josh Lapin-Bertone to briefly look at the Fab Four's appearance in Marvel continuity and to introduce the number one song, co-incidentally a Beatles track. Many thanks to Josh for joining the show for a couple of minutes.

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Love (And A Sodding Big Dragon) Is In The Air

In the second half of our coverage of books cover-dated February 1965, love blossoms unexpectedly. Steve and Andy take a look at Fantastic Four #35, as a giant dragon somehow comes to life and terrorises Ben and Reed's alma mater. Then in Strange Tales #129, some gubbins involving a train and some pathetic henchmen.

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Amazing Spider-Man Classic

Today, we throw the rules out of the window and staunchly refuse to read any issue of Fantastic Four or Strange Tales. Instead,guided by editors notes, we attempt to put the comics cover-dated February 1965 into some sort of continuity order.

So, we start with Amazing Spider-Man #21, co-featuring The Human Torch. It's a three-way smackdown between Johnny Storm, Peter Parker, and Abner Jenkins. You know, The Beetle! We then briefly head over to Avengers #13 to see how the Four deal with the plans of Count Nefaria. And yes, I say Avengers #13. Unlike on the show, where Steve repeatedly says Avengers #12. Ignore him...

We also spend some time with your e-mails, and then - we're off! We've split the episode into two, to prevent audio overload and to allow Steve some time to edit. So, you get weekly Fantasticast for the next couple of weeks. Enjoy!

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Two Not-That-Fat Men On Fantastic Four

Well, that was a different way to open the show...

This week sees a slightly-shorter-than-usual episode, for a few reasons. One is we're only covering 2 comics this time around. Another is that Strange Tales doesn't have a great deal going for it. And another is that Steve's mic was creating some pretty bad sounds, so he edited the heck out of the episode to minimise its impact.

In Fantastic Four #34, the mysterious tyrannical tycoon Gideon tries to prove his superiority by defeating the Fantastic Four, whilst Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver call in on the Baxter Building in Strange Tales #128. Oh, and Avengers #12 is covered in about 30 seconds, which may be a new podcast record...

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Yes, Mr Lister, Sir!

Hello and welcome to another episode of The Fantasticast! This time around, Steve Lacey (20 Minute Longbox) and Andrew Leyland (HeyKids Comics) guide you through three excellent slices of Silver Age Marvel magic. Yes, three. We're classing Strange Tales this month as officially 'Not Crap'.

Fantastic Four #33 sees Lee and Kirby break the formula and conventions of the title to create genuinely exciting and innovative read, supported by some of the best art that Kirby and Stone have produced to date. Strange Tales #127 sees a mysterious villain challenge Ben and Johnny to a desert race to find out who is the better driver. Amazing Spider-Man #19 sees Peter Parker regain his mojo, and team up properly with the Human Torch for the first time. No snarkiness, no jokes, just great comics. And some snarkiness. And quite a few jokes, now that I come to think of it.

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John Byrne Quits Comics

Hello and welcome to the 36th episode of the show! This time, Steve and Andy journey into Fantastic Four #32, where a mystery villain causes John Byrne to stop reading comics. Then we're off to Strange Tales #126, where two very familiar villains almost cause us to stop reading comics. Finally, we stop in to Amazing Spider-Man #18, where a returning villain barely appears, and Peter Parker decides to go a-stalkin' Betty Brant.

The Fantasticast: With extra added rapping with Cap and John Barnes.

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House Of The Fallen Storm

Ooh, a cryptic title!

On this episode of the Fantasticast, Steve Lacey and Andrew Leyland see the Fantastic Four title leap forward into a new era of storytelling, whilst featuring the team's very first villain. It's #31 - The Mad Menace of the Macabre Mole Man. Then in Strange Tales #125, the storytelling takes a huge leap backwards, before jumping forward again in Amazing Spider-Man #17. Oh, and we also have one of the greatest number one singles of all time to close the show.

But even more importantly than that, we're launching our very first competition with this episode. We're going to digitally give away every issue of the Marvel NOW Fantastic Four and FF series by Matt Fraction, Mark Bagley, Mark Farmer, Mike Allred and Laura Allred. To enter, all you need to do is to like us on Facebook and/or follow us on twitter. When we have 150 likes and 300 followers, we'll choose to likers/followers, and they will win either Fantastic Four or FF in digital form.

What are you waiting for? Go enter the competition!

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

The Doomcast

Hello, and welcome to the first episode of the Doomcast, hosted by Professor Alan. Joining him this week are Steve Lacey and Andrew Leyland of The Fantasticast, who are summoned to the Office of the Cultural Attache of the Great State of Latveria to explain why so many of their episodes paint Doctor Doom in a villainnous light, rather than the heroic view that all peoples of Latveria see him.

Or... Professor Alan of The Book Guys join Steve and Andy this episode to take a look at the life and times of Victor von Doom, as presented in Fantastic Four Annual #2. From the first telling of his origin to his latest battle with the Fantastic Four, via a reprint of his first appearance, and many more surprises. Then it's a fast dive into Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 to establish just how the Four aid Spider-Man in his hour of need, when his greatest villains team up against him.

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Bad Horse, Bad Horse

He rides across the nation, the thoroughbred of sin, and when you eat that burger you'll be eating him. The food contamination sees his evil game begin. That lasagne, that nice burger, that hotdog might contain, of course, some horse (some horse), some horse (some horse).

Of course, if you've been ignoring the horse meat contamination scandal in the UK, then that intro means nothing to you.

This week's London Super Comic Covention-co-inciding episode sees Steve and Andy joined by Dave Walker of the Flash Legacies podcast. Dave provided the voice of Baron Hugo for our trailer, and having him on the show has been an ambition of ours for some time.

Steve, Andy and Dave dive into the origins of Diablo in Fantastic Four #30 before getting covered in gallons of paste from Paste-Pot Pete in Strange Tales #124. We also bid a very fond farewell to a battered and blood-stained vagrant-clobbering Fantastic Four Omnibus vol. 1.

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Now With Genuine People Personalities

The 32nd episode of the Fantasticast is here, and Steve and Andy are ready to guide you through three Silver Age issues of Marvel goodness.*

*WARNING: Goodness is used for descriptive and not literal purposes.

We start with Fantastic Four #29 - It Started On Yancy Street, featuring the return of a surprise guest-villain and the first instance of Jack Kirby's photo montage. We then move to the origin of The Beetle in Strange Tales #123, before briefly checking in with the Tales of the Watcher in Tales of Suspense #55.

Along the way, we read listener e-mails, and make more references than a referency reference guide that references references.

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