Therefore I Geek

In which, Tracy, Andrew, and Dude regale one another with stories of conventions past, in preparation for the upcoming NYCC, which opens this week. Dude followed up on his tale of aged Playboy Bunny woe from part one of Con Stories and explained how he recovered without years of intense therapy. Tracy invoked the story of how her boyfriend made her so stressed that she nearly threw up and fell over, and ended up sleeping on her backpack against a wall at NYCC; and Andrew finished with a less distressing tale of how one of his best friends got engaged at a convention.

In which, Andrew and Dude rewatch and discuss the 1973 sci-fi film Westworld and discuss HBO's planned series based of the same name by Michael Crichton. Both of the guys are skeptical about a long running series based on the source material, but Dude points out that HBO's desire to produce the show counts for something, and Andrew looks forward to the moral ambiguity that is the hallmark of traditional sci-fi.

In which our plucky hosts plan to fail by failing to plan and decide to wing it. Tracy talks books that Andrew may never see again, Andrew reminds us that he basically only reads comics in case we forgot the last 80 episodes, and Dude talked about his character dying while the other hosts fantasized it was actually him.

In which, Andrew and Dude discuss the 50th anniversary of Gene Roddenberry's vision of a better humanity; namely, Star Trek. They recount their first encounters with the show, how the show actually began, how the show was saved by the fans, and especially the utopia that Roddenberry envisioned in the future.

In which, the gang decides that they are just going to wing it. We mourn the loss of Gene Wilder and Jon Polito, and then launch into a rousing discussion of whether or not Hollywood is doomed!! In a stunning turn of events, Dude concedes a great point to Tracy--the reason? Astounding!

In which, Andrew, Tracy, and Dude reveal that they can actually have an intelligent conversation about a controversial topic, specifically about comic writer Gail Simone's 1999 musings on why female characters in comics seem to end up violently damaged in order to further the story or provide motivation for their male counterparts. Our heroes break the topic down and look at Gail's initial conversation starter, and then move into the argument that has been created by various feminists based on that topic. Dude vows to spend the rest of his life--or at least the next few weeks--breaking down the lists of characters who have died in comics to uncover the statistics that may prove or disprove the idea.

In which, Andrew, Dude, and Tracy have their first review threesome--diving into Vertigo's Hellblazer Volume 1. Dude especially enjoyed the characterization of John Constantine, and the ambiguous nature of his protagonism. Tracy liked the flow of the writing--which felt "like a quality pulp novel"--and the lack of origin story. We spend some time discussing the way the book blends the mystical with elements of mental illness. and the political commentary (some more blatant than others). This is a great horror novel with plenty of depth for multiple readings.

In which, Andrew, Tracy, and Dude unpack the recent weapons policy that Baltimore Comic Con posted and quickly amended, as well as DC's new movie Suicide Squad. Andrew and Dude found very little to enjoy about the movie, while Tracy felt it was a good time--if not a classic to span the ages. Notable quote: "[Captain Boomerang] wasn't just normal-guy creepy, he was candy-and-windowless-van creepy."

In which, Dude breaks down the new animated feature film Batman: The Killing Joke. Meanwhile, in another part of town, Andrew and Tracy discuss the original graphic novel by Alan Moore that inspired the film. We talk about book-ending in writing and art for a satisfying novel, as well as briefly discussing the controversy surrounding this book--especially Gail Simone's take on "women in refrigerators."

In which, Andrew, Tracy, and Dude take on the news from SDCC, especially the trailers for new DC movies and the announcement of Brie Larson's casting as Captain Marvel. They wrap up the episode with a conversation about whether or not the new Star Trek Discovery ship lacks the correct cool factor, and whether Chris Pine will ever play a character that is not Chris Pine.