Show notes provided by Joe Peluso

Once again, the back door to Mint Condition swings open and your hosts James and Joe are present to discuss, dissect and disseminate all things pop culture.
   In this episode the boys launch into the most recent movie trailers of this summer's two (We hope!) blockbuster films: SUPERMAN and FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Geeking out over what they've seen in these two teases (Hey, Ma Kent is in the film! And Galactus is walking cross-town--hopefully in the bicycle lane.), theories, questions, and possibilities abound. Is Luthor using Metamorpho as a walking chemistry set? Is this version of the Silver Surfer Shalla Bal? Will Jimmy Olsen finally have something to do in a Superman movie? And how distracted will Reed be in the F.F. film?
   These, and many other pressing questions, fill a fun-filled hour of this most recent "back of the store chat". And stick around for our recommendations (Ironheart, Dexter: Resurrection, some DC Absolute talk, Space Ghost and Speed Racer, and Ultimate Spider-Man.) And in a rare moment, that can only be described as a "respectful" mini rant, James and Joe question Marvel's editorial obstinacy of keeping Peter Parker in a perpetual lifetime holding pattern.
   It promises to be a summer of pop culture fun. And it starts here with you, the MInt faithful. ENJOY!

This weeks sports edition Joe and Chris do a round robin updating you on all the sports that they are watching.

Show notes provided by Arco Esposito

Imagine for a moment that’s it’s May 1984 and you’re at your comic book spot on a Wednesday picking up your favorite books and you see something that is both exciting and alien (pun intended)! You spy the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #252 and do a double take! Who is this on the cover in a black costume?! Where is the red and blue Spider-Man we all know and love?! Well that’s how it was for a generation of spidey fans who were witness to the greatest costume change in comics history! And what a change it was! How else can you describe all that came from this momentous occasion?? Well listen in as James, Joe and Spidey lover Arco go into detail how they were personally affected by it as well as the Marvel universe overall! Some things are too good to keep to ourselves and we are pleased to share our Black Costume love with you all!

Show notes provided by Joe Peluso

 It's been some time since they guys have been at the sports desk, but the world of pro sports never slows down and the guys "pulled a hammy" trying to catch up.
But don't worry their time on the IL has concluded and they are back on ice for this episode on the current state of the NHL.
   Chris and Joe execute an odd man rush past the blue line in an
attempt to score a winning report on the current NHL Playoffs, the crash and burn that was The New York Rangers 2024/2025 season (Joe is still in a state of shock), and the rise of the PWHL.
   It's a fun-filled hour where the boys "light the lamp" on the
fastest game in town. So sit back, be cool, and don't get up to grab a snack--you might miss a "breakaway"!

Show notes provided by Joe Peluso

At Thanksgiving in 1986, Paramount Pictures released a sci-fi, comedy,
pirate adventure, caper film with the little title of: "Star Trek IV:
The Voyage Home". It was an immensely popular (and financially
successful) departure to what had come before! Amongst Trekkers the
world over, this is still considered the best Star Trek film ever
made. And your hosts, James. Josh, Jack, and Joe concur.
     Without almost out of control child-like joy the guys recount,
relay, and reaffirm why this film is such a classic. With unbridled
enthusiasm--bordering at times on sheer lunacy--the boys relive this
unique cinematic experience. From the rag tag crew agreeing to return
to Earth to face the music, to the trip back to present day San
Francisco, and ultimately saving mankind once again from its
shortsightedness, the boys are so invested in this film they are
practically part of the crew tagging along on this grand adventure.
Had Dr. McCoy been present for this recording he would have sent them
all to the sick bay for a full psychiatric evaluation.
    And for you film buffs, play close attention as Josh and Jack fill
in much of the back story on how this addition to the Star Trek canon
reached fruition.
    As the episode draws to a close it's clear the inertial dampeners
are off line as the guys bounce from scene to scene, and are also
unable to reframe from firing off the many quotable lines from the
film. At this point it's abundantly clear the hump back whales need
not fear these silly humans. But once you listen to this latest
offering of the podcast you will understand why the guys were so giddy
for sixty plus minutes. And like Spock, at the film's conclusion--You
will feel fine.

Show notes provided by Joe Peluso

World's collide! World's die! Time and space merge unleashing
apocalyptic chaos! And in the middle of it all are the greatest heroes and villains in the known universe! In advance of the coming void, new heroes debut to try to halt the coming cosmic disaster. The "old guard" is thrown into the breach where they find themselves battling forces of nature, time tossed Triassic terrors, and unknown heroes!
It's time once again to join your hosts James, Keith, and Joe as they revisit the DC Comics universe shattering classic tale of "The Crisis on Infinite Earths"!
     The issues discussed and dissected in this segment are: #'s four, five, and six. And the first thing that becomes abundantly clear is that the artwork of George Perez, with the addition of Jerry Ordway's inks, gets even more spectacular! The guys drool over this artistic tour de force and drill down on the sheer magnitude of characters put to page, and the skillful storytelling techniques employed to delineate such a feat.
     And what else can be said about the writing chops of Marv
Woflman, other than he puts the reader on his back as he rockets you through the vast DC Universe with surprises and shocks at every neck snapping turn!

Happy May the 4th listeners. This year your hosts James, Josh, John and Toby look back on Episodes I, II and III.

Show notes provided by Joe Peluso

What do you get when you take a police procedural, mix it with science fiction and super-heroes, throw in social and political overtones that reflect modern society--and--call it an origin story? You get one guess--and it has nothing to do with a dead planet named Krypton. Give up? Well, the answer is Timothy Truman's three issuemasterpiece--HAWKWORLD.
    Join you hosts Keith and Joe for another installment of "Thinking Out of the Longbox With Keith" as the boys strap on their Nth metal wings and fly into an adventure of dynamic discovery of one of DC's seminal characters--Hawkman. The later half of the decade of the 1980's saw many DC icons reimagined for a modern age as the Crisis on Infinite Earths opened the door to new, fresh version of Superman, Wonder Woman, The Batman, The Flash, Green Arrow, and the "winged
wonder" from the Planet Thanagar!
    Truman's Hawkworld is a gritty, commentary on the abuse of power, and how it can tear apart an individual who has had his life mapped out for him. Katar Hol is a man fighting demons of the heart and mind, as well as those that prey on the less fortunate in the real world.
The guys discuss the themes and tones such a world would impose on one man, and how he must fall from grace to eventually conquer all his demons so that he may become the beloved Silver Age version of Hawkman.
    And as they extol the virtues of Truman's dynamic and nuanced writing, they fairly flip their minds when they profusely praise his incredible art.
    This is a book the guys have been wanting to wax poetic about for a long time. We feel sure you will enjoy the discourse of this somewhat overlooked gem from comics best decade.And that classic exclamation "Look up in the sky!"--takes on a whole new meaning after reading Hawkworld!

Show notes provided by Arco Esposito

Secret Wars Part 2

Having just watched the Masters on tv, I find that is the perfect analogy for this podcast, though in this case we will say that we now enter the back 6 of the masterful Secret Wars limited series! You heard us introduce you to the concepts and ideas behind Marvels first 12 issue opus, and here we will tie it all with a bow, giving insight on not only the rest of the story, but key moments like the Death of the Wasp, the introduction of the New Spider Woman, and of course we can’t forget the very first appearance of Spider-Man’s black costume! Sprinkle in some conversation about writer Jim Shooter and a little talk about the fantastic artist Mike Zeck and we have ourselves a great ending to this two part podcast! Join James, Joe, Chris and Mint’s very own Marvel historian Arco as we bring you back to the middle of 1985 and the finale of the story line that started it all for many kids of the 80’s and beyond!

Show notes provided by Joe Peluso

Life has many joys, and not the least among these is, of course,
friends. And when you get to share in the success--and the realization of a friend's dream--the manifestation of that joy is heart-warming.
    Join your hosts James, Chris, and Joe in welcoming back to the podcast Richie Garofalo and a little gem he has created called: " The Mighty Little Lumberjack and the Enchanted Forest". Richie's first enterprise into the children's market is the tale of the restoration of a forest through the efforts of the titular hero and his wonderful friends. Yes, Mack (The Mighty Little Lumberjack) takes on the mighty task (working in concert with nature) to bring beauty and joy back into his world.
    The guys discuss the creation of the book from its initial stages through the processes that brought it to fruition. In further detail, Richie describes how this labor of love was both educational and inspiring. The final product is a mini "tour de force" that any adult (or older sibling) would be proud and pleased to read to a child.
    After reading this wondrous fable that recounts the true spirit of cooperation, and the admiration of nature's beauty, I am positive that I speak for both my co-hosts when I say our love and admiration for Richie is as expansive as Mack's enchanted forest.