Hi, Listeners! Due to travel-related connectivity issues, we’re taking an involuntary holiday break. We’ll be back with the actual episode 179 next week!
See you in 2018…
Month: December 2017
178 – Giant-Size Special #6
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In which we enter a new era of X-Men; Magneto reluctantly returns to villainy; Jay tries to like X-Men volume 2; when in doubt, you should open your story with a space fight; Nick Fury has so many pouches; experimenting on babies unsurprisingly backfires; psychic powers are pink; Claremont deserved better; Producer Matt makes his on-air debut; and you (yes, you!) are once again the recipients of a Super Doctor Astronaut Peter Corbeau Award for Excellence in X-Cellence.
X-PLAINED:
- Loa
- The 1991 relaunch of X-Men
- X-Men vol. 2 #1-3
- Chris Claremont’s departure from Marvel
- X-Men vs. Uncanny X-Men
- Blue Team
- Gold Team
- Why Magneto is emblematic of Claremont’s vision for the X-Men
- Why there are so many copies of X-Men #1
- How comics sales are counted
- Our very different perspectives on X-Men #1
- A space fight
- Revision vs. reversion
- What may or may not be in Nick Fury’s pouches
- Daring loungewear worn well
- Fabian Cortez
- Flatscans
- Disproportionate escalation
- The Acolytes
- Delgado, kind of, maybe
- Several notable absences
- The Magneto Protocols
- That one time Magneto got turned into a baby
- Some dubious science
- A semi-invisible plane
- Code Silver
- Further miracles of magnetism
- Producer Matt Hunter
- Chiptunes
- Podcasting about video games
- The Fourth Annual Super Doctor Astronaut Peter Corbeau Awards for Excellence at X-Cellence
- Best X-Toon holiday episodes
NEXT EPISODE: Havok gets a job!
Special thanks to Cordelia for her help on the episode opening!
Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog!
Find us on iTunes or Stitcher!
Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!
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As Mentioned in Episode 177 – The Less You Know
Listen to the podcast here.
Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!
Luckily for Terrence, the actual X-Men were ALSO lurking by the playground! (Be X-Tra Safe With Blockbuster KidPrint and the X-Men)
“Look, to be honest, several of us are DEFINITELY not trustworthy.” (Be X-Tra Safe With Blockbuster KidPrint and the X-Men)
“Also, would you say that your kidneys are in good condition?” (Be X-Tra Safe With Blockbuster KidPrint and the X-Men)
BEAST, NO. (Be X-Tra Safe With Blockbuster KidPrint and the X-Men)
Gambit is definitely the Least Safe X-Man. (Be X-Tra Safe With Blockbuster KidPrint and the X-Men)
So, that’s a thing that exists. (The Uncanny X-Men at the State Fair of Texas)
Circle of Death time is the best time! (The Uncanny X-Men at the State Fair of Texas)
Evolution in action. (The Uncanny X-Men at the State Fair of Texas)
I absolutely do not believe that you did not see anyone unusual at a state fair. (The Uncanny X-Men at the State Fair of Texas)
They’re so bad at not being menacing. (The Uncanny X-Men at the State Fair of Texas)
“He sees you forever and ever, Alan!” (The Uncanny X-Men at the State Fair of Texas)
This panel is amazing. (The Uncanny X-Men at the State Fair of Texas)
“Let us never speak of today again.” (The Uncanny X-Men at the State Fair of Texas)
The contents of one of the greatest minds on Earth. (The Uncanny X-Men at the State Fair of Texas)
This is a fundamentally self-defeating activity page, and also a really boring connect-the-dots puzzle. (The Uncanny X-Men at the State Fair of Texas)
Let’s just assume that it’s a slow news day. (Smokescreen)
Centaur? Immortal Iron Fist? WHY NOT BOTH? (Smokescreen)
Kids can’t resist a plaid vest. (Smokescreen)
“So… what you’re basically saying is that he’s a teenager?” (Smokescreen)
She still gets taken out like a chump, though. (Smokescreen)
“Hey, wanna see some of his shrink’s notes, while we’re grossly violating his privacy?” (Smokescreen)
MARK TRAIL, NO! (Smokescreen)
oh my god look at this asshole (Smokescreen)
“Tell me, Bret, how much do you know about the migratory patterns of mallard ducks?” (Smokescreen)
That is certainly one way to do a thing. (Smokescreen)
NEXT EPISODE: Giant-Size Winter Special!
FURTHER READING:
- We don’t know for sure that The Uncanny X-Men at the State Fair of Texas was heavily influenced by Peter Shaffer’s Equus; but we also don’t know that it wasn’t.
177 – The Less You Know
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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In which we discuss several Very Special Issues; the real cautionary tale is not to trust Hank McCoy; horses are vehicles of lies and heartbreak; the X-Men shill for a state fair; whatever you’re doing, Cyclops is here to stop you; smoking is a gateway to some really weird vices; and we want YOU to design the latest X-Men PSA!
X-PLAINED:
- The alternate-timeline terrible choices of Hank McCoy
- Our wholly unfounded theories about Spongebob Squarepants
- Be X-Tra Safe With Blockbuster KidPrint and the X-Men
- VHS tapes
- Blockbuster KidPrint
- Mariano Nicieza
- Some Fundamental Problems With Superhero PSAs
- A man who may or may not be D-Man
- Terrence
- Why Cable should deliver more PSAs
- Why D.A.R.E. doesn’t work
- Varying coherent cautionary tales
- The Uncanny X-Men at the State Fair of Texas
- A tragic lack of carnies
- Danny the centaur and his very intense feelings about horses
- Several exciting attractions at the State Fair of Texas
- Big Tex
- Activities
- Smokescreen
- Bret Jackson
- Some of the lesser-known danger of smoking
- Whether Danny Rand can turn into a centaur
- Hanging out and other gateways to delinquency
- The South Side Social Club
- Jake
- Etiquette of following teenagers around
- A villainous plan so ineffective that it’s actually kind of sad
- X-Men you should hire for your PSAs
- Our thoughts on the Disney/Fox merger
- Where to find Bloodstorm
- Baby Jumping
NEXT EPISODE: Giant-Size Winter Special!
LISTENER CHALLENGE: Send your X-Men PSAs to [email protected] with the subject PSA by December 27!
You can find the visual companion to this episode on our blog.
Find us on iTunes or Stitcher!
Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!
We’re in the process of migrating our official shop to TeePublic! Click over to check it out! (You can still find the designs we haven’t moved yet at Redbubble.)
As Mentioned in Episode 176 – My Flashback With Andre
Listen to the episode here.
Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!
This guyyyyyyyyy! (Wolverine #48)
JUBILEE, NO. God, she’s not even wearing any safety gear. (Wolverine #48)
That, Jubilee, is a Lotus 7. Your mentor’s car. Not as clumsy or overwrought as a DeLorean. An elegant media reference… for a more civilized age. (Wolverine #48)
THAT IS A TERRIBLE WAY TO SHOW SOMEONE THE GUN YOU FOUND. (Wolverine #48)
Actually, Jubilee, Wolverine is 100% in the right here. (Wolverine #48)
No one should ever make this show under any circumstances. (Wolverine #48)
Spoiler: No funky butts are in fact dispensated. (Wolverine #48)
Toldja! It’s Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby! (Wolverine #49)
WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST WRITE HER NAME FIRST? IT WOULD HAVE FIT! (Wolverine #49)
The calendar is a little silly, but it’s also an incredibly eerie, cool detail. (Wolverine #49)
“I am not a number! I am a free man!” (Wolverine #49)
Sure, it’s a gimmick; but it’s a cool gimmick! (Wolverine #50)
LOOK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL, RIDICULOUS BASTARD AND HIS BEAUTIFUL, RIDICULOUS MOTORCYCLE. (Wolverine #50)
In Hines’s defense, Canada-616 is absolutely terrible. (Wolverine #50)
…and you, in turn, watch the Hydra operatives; as the NSA watches you; and… (Wolverine #50)
I take this to mean that somewhere there’s a splinter universe where Wolverine had an idyllic but ultimately tragic dalliance with a giant artichoke. (Wolverine #50)
HOW MANY YEARS HAS THAT PIECE OF CAKE BEEN SITTING THERE? (Wolverine #50)
I like the idea that the BIG SECRET isn’t that they faked his memories but that they had to reuse sets because of budget constraints. (Wolverine #50)
Sure you are, buddy. (Wolverine #50)
TWIST! (Wolverine #50)
I appreciate the implication that the ultimate horror is a high school prom. (Wolverine #50)
Aw, Logan. Never change. (Wolverine #50)
NEXT EPISODE: Centaur fight at the State Fair (and other educational adventures)!
LINKS & FURTHER LISTENING
- We were on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s State of Wonder! Listen to the episode–and discover a bunch of cool Oregon-based podcasts–here!
- Hear all about Wolverine’s terrible birthdays in Episode 113 – Play It Again, Patch.
- Brush up on Weapon X in Episode 162 – Naked in Canada.
176 – My Flashback With Andre
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS
In which we were on public radio; it’s probably best just to ignore Romulus; Miles still hasn’t seen the Prisoner and should be very ashamed of himself; toy licensing is the stuff of nightmares; you can upgrade your bloodbath for an additional $1.25; Jay may or may not have family ties to Weapon X; we are suckers for die-cut covers; Wolverine knows how to commit to a gag; and you have some pretty remarkable dreams.
X-PLAINED:
- Wolverine’s CIA contacts
- Murder-related birthday traditions
- Wolverine #48-50
- The ship Righteous Indignation and the ‘ship Righteous Indignation
- Wolverine size creep
- Injudicious footwear
- Serial sidekicks
- Miles’s continual failure to watch The Prisoner
- The Summers Crash model of flashbacks
- Panties and/or grenades
- Several varyingly reliable flashbacks
- How memory works
- Mastodon
- Andre
- How memory doesn’t really work
- Kids’ toy licensing
- Quasimodo’s hangout
- Women in Refrigerators
- Secret agent skills
- The Dalton school of argument
- A legitimately cool cover gimmick
- Wolverine vs. the Helicarrier
- Adamantium handicrafts
- Shiva (but not that one)
- Silver Fox (again) (kind of)
- A cataclysmic memory backlash
- Antarctic X-Hijinks
- Jay & Miles’s adventures in YOUR DREAMS
NEXT EPISODE: Centaurs of Texas
CORRECTION: Kyle Rayner’s girlfriend was the source of the Women In Refrigerator’s trope–not Hal Jordan’s, as Jay stated in this episode.
You can find the visual companion to this episode on our blog.
Find us on iTunes or Stitcher!
Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!
We’re in the process of migrating our official shop to TeePublic! Click over to check it out! (You can still find the designs we haven’t moved yet at Redbubble.)
As Mentioned in Episode 175 – Lady Windermere’s Fan Club
Listen to the podcast here.
Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!
This series should really be more fun than it is. (X-Men: True Friends #1)
“On one hand, you’re probably doomed. On the other hand, I did your laundry!” (X-Men: True Friends #1)
Excalibur is SUPER into trad night. (X-Men: True Friends #1)
Turning every head… except the one she wants to. (X-Men: True Friends #1)
Rachel Summers: master of subtlety. (X-Men: True Friends #1)
The absence of Dr. Druid from this story is really inexcusable. (X-Men: True Friends #1)
Lilibet wants nothing to do with that ludicrous accent. (X-Men: True Friends #1)
It wouldn’t be a Claremont book without an aviation lesson! (X-Men: True Friends #1)
Ugh. THAT guy. (X-Men: True Friends #2)
FUN FACT: We learned after recording this episode that Edward and Wallis were SUPER into fascism. NOT COOL. (X-Men: True Friends #2)
Laird Hetero McNonthreatening and his amazing Hypercolor kilt! (X-Men: True Friends #2)
AND THEN THIS HAPPENED. (X-Men: True Friends #2)
“If only my bones were made out of something super dense that made me useless underwater, amirite?” (X-Men: True Friends #2)
Hiiiii, Logan. (X-Men: True Friends #2)
“I’ll go kill the Nazis. You kids hang out under the dock and neck, or whatever.” (X-Men: True Friends #2)
He is a man of simple pleasures. (X-Men: True Friends #2)
Welcome to the time loop! Hope you survive the… oh. OH. Sorry. (X-Men: True Friends #3)
Oh, man. (X-Men: True Friends #3)
Don’t fuck with Kitty Pryde. (X-Men: True Friends #3)
I would read the HELL out of a comic about these three. (X-Men: True Friends #3)
This is the best costume Kitty Pryde will ever have, hands down. (X-Men: True Friends #3)
Yaaaawn. (X-Men: True Friends #3)
“Well, I do like redheads…” (X-Men: True Friends #3)
I don’t know what the Sword of Scone is, but it sounds DELICIOUS. (X-Men: True Friends #3)
I really love that the Phoenix Force has defeated Nazis with the power of queerness on AT LEAST TWO DISTINCT OCCASIONS. (X-Men: True Friends #3)
“They’re not corgis, but we suppose that they’ll have to do.” (X-Men: True Friends #3)
NEXT EPISODE: This guy.
175 – Lady Windermere’s Fan Club
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS
In which Gambit is transatlantically terrible; Rick Leonardi is the poor man’s Alan Davis (but in a good way); we try and fail to care about British royals; Miles should probably read some Oscar Wilde already; Jay has a lot of feelings about The Rocketeer; Shadowcat gets a genuinely stylish costume; and we would read the hell out of a series about Destiny, Mystique, and Wolverine’s WWII adventures.
X-PLAINED:
- Why Gambit isn’t welcome in the United Kingdom
- X-Men: True Friends #1-3
- The poor man’s Alan Davis
- Trad night
- Laird Alasdhair Kinross and his nonthreatening but convenient heterosexuality
- Inexplicably absent familial relationships
- Queen Lilibet the Second
- Lady Regina Windermere
- Several notable British fascists of the 1930s
- A snazzy airplane
- Several nefarious plots
- Formal pajamas
- The mystery of the Hypercolor™ kilt
- A large number of strong feelings about The Rocketeer
- Kitty Pryde’s best costumes
- Weaponized cosmic queerness (again)
- Power, agency, and the Dark Phoenix Saga
- How characters end up with their specific mutations.
NEXT EPISODE: Wolverine, again.
You can find the visual companion to this episode on our blog.
Find us on iTunes or Stitcher!
Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!
We’re in the process of migrating our official shop to TeePublic! Click over to check it out! (You can still find the designs we haven’t moved yet at Redbubble.)