Two True Freaks

I dip my toes into the independent comics waters with Robotech: The Macross Saga #21. Join me as I spend time with Rick Hunter and Lisa Hayes as they get stuck in the depths of the SDF-1 for a few hours (bottle epsidoe, anyone?). Then, I talk about teaching podcasting and past summer enrichment program experiences.

It's the tenth episode of Required Reading With Tom and Stella! This podcast, which is hosted by Tom Panarese (Pop Culture Affidavit, In Country) and Stella (Batgirl to Oracle: A Barbara Gordon Podcast, The Batman Universe) is two teachers talking about literature. Each episode, we will be taking a look at a single work, analyzing it, criticizing it and deciding if it's worth its place in the canon.

This time around, we are taking a break from our usual look at literature for our first "Tangent Special," which covers the genres of biography, autobiography, and memoir. We discuss what defines each genre and make recommendations.

If you like our podcast, feel free to like our Facebook page (just search for Required Reading with Tom and Stella) or email us at [email protected]

Zaki Hassan is back for more simian fun as he joins Paul to look at the second entry of the current Apes Saga. Is It Jaws? Listen in and find out!

In today's ball-riffing episode, Magnus blows the dust off the Musical Magnus series and joins forces with Bob Fisher in order to yammer about the Coverdale*Page album.

Or six songs from the Coverdale*Page album anyway.

Anyway, what makes this album special? Beyond the obvious, I mean. And why did this CD send Magnus into a months-long depression back in the summer of 1998?

Those answers, and many more, can be found here!

Along the way, Magnus and Bob follow any number of tangents and side-adventures. Stories are recounted, anecdotes are shared, lessons are imparted and it would probably be fair to say that Magnus and Bob both came away from the experience as different, perhaps better, men.

So what more do you need? Start listening now before Robert Plant starts ripping you up to the international press.

Scott is on assignment, so Al Sedano returns to join Paul and Bill and discuss some old fashioned comics. But in a time travel trick, Al came from the past from before his last appearance. The logic makes our heads hurt, but the show is a good listen.

Andrew watches one of the first female icons of Science Fiction, The Bionic Woman as she struts her 70's flares and goes ON THE RUN in the series final episode. Does it all wrap up comfortably for out Bionic Heroine?

Kraven meets his end in the penultimate chapter of Kraven's Last Hunt as I take a look at "Thunder" from The Amazing Spider-Man #294. Plus, I spend 15 minutes talking about ice cream.

Walloping websnappers people, we got us a new episode in the hopper! And just because there is a Spider-Man movie out there still bringing in the bucks, we thought we would give out some old fashioned Spider-Man coverage. And that would be old fashioned JOHN BYRNE Spider-Man coverage. Sit back and enjoy as Tim Elliott and Brian Hughes look back at a Stern and Byrne production, “Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man” #58.

What else do we get?

Well:

A nice spoiler-filled discussion on “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.

A friendly discourse on one of the more infamous inkers of the Marvel age.

A discovery of artwork done by one of the most unlikely artists at Marvel.

And we get a favorable mention on a comic blog.

All this and more in our latest episode of 3rd Degree Byrne!

Note to listeners: There were some issues with the audio recording this month, we apologize for the extra noise. My fault, the wrong mic was recording. (Brian)

I am happy to announce that my family is building me a Man-Cave/Office that will be sound-proofed to help keep the background noise to a minimum so that I may work and record in relative peace.

And now, on to the show!

In the mid-1980s, one of the seminal anime series to ever cross over to American television was watched by children across the country. Combining mecha with a love story and an intergalactic war, Robotech was a sweeping saga that makes it one of the most memorable series of the decade. For this episode, I sit down with Donovan Morgan Grant (The Batman Universe, The Next Dimension, Questions No Answers) to talk about The Macross Saga, and then I come back and take a brief look at the Masters and New Generation sagas.

Show notes are available at Pop Culture Affidavit, and don't forget to leave feedback by email or on the Facebook page.

A long time ago, the Prophets were speaking....and we were listening then too. Re-presenting the very first Listen to the Prophets episode, as Paul, Andrew and Shawn took the reins of Star Trek Monthly Monday for an episode and a new show was born.