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Monday, May 21, 2012

Who's Who: The Definitive Podcast of the DC Universe, Volume I

sgThe Fire and Water Podcast Presents:
WHO'S WHO: THE DEFINITIVE PODCAST OF THE DC UNIVERSE, Volume I

The inaugural episode of our WHO’S WHO podcast -- the show that dares to tackle one of DC Comics' greatest publications! Each episode Shag and I will cover a single issue of WHO’S WHO: THE DEFINITIVE DIRECTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE. This time around we chat about Volume I, discussing characters such as: Aquaman, Animal Man, Adam Strange, All-Star Squadron, The Atom, and many more!


Let us know what you think of the show! Send questions or comments to: firewaterpodcast@comcast.net

You can also leave a comment on our sites:
THE AQUAMAN SHRINE - http://www.aquamanshrine.com
FIRESTORM FAN - http://firestormfan.com

Subscribe via iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-fire-and-water-podcast/id463855630

Our fantastic opening and closing theme by Daniel Adams and The Bad Mamma Jammas!
http://www.facebook.com/BadMammaJammas

Thanks for listening!

10 comments:

Wings1295 said...

So happy to see this pop up in iTunes! Yay! Can't wait to listen. Always loved the Who's Who, wish they would do a new version, once they have introduced "all" the New 52 versions of their heroes and villains!

Orin's dad said...

Woo-Hoo! Can't wait to hear this! Thanks guys!

rob! said...

Hope you enjoy!

Diabolu Frank said...

A. Sweet theme! I grew up on "Mix-Ill-Plick," but adopted "Mix-yes-spittle-plick" from Superman: TAS. Now here's a third pronunciation? At least Shag gets a pass on this one.

B. I like "The Definitive Podcast of the DC Universe," but...

C. For the record, the only "major," "noteworthy" Martian Manhunter character featured was Martian Manhunter, so screw Who's Who. Zook appeared in dozens of stories, but they bypassed an entry in favor of one-hit wonders like Aegeus (as seen in this debut issue.) I'm so glad they got in all those Atari Force entries with gorgeous art by the likes of Garcia-Lopez and Barreto in place of, say, any Manhunter villain whatsoever.

D. I think Shag may be right. Covering the entire DCU, especially if you expand to SF&O and the encyclopedias as you progress, should broaden your audience. For instance, DC Bloodlines is kind of a crappy blog in terms of regular content involving popular brands, but it's managed to coast on encompassing a wide array of DC dregs from various slumming demographics. Meanwhile, my Atom blog is focused and has stronger content per post, but less than half the audience.

E. You're both old men. At least when I reference Melrose Place or Angel, listeners may have at least been born before those shows came into being.

F. Who's Who really expresses the difference between DC and Marvel. One was about diversity and visual storytelling, while the other was about being a uniform, comprehensive resource with each static figure inked by the same person. Personally, I prefer OHOTMU, since it was more focused on imparting information, and would have totally had more Martian Manhunter entries. Who's Who felt more slapped together, and I'd forgotten how poor and brief many of the entries were. The highs were higher in Who's Who on the art front, though.

G. Rob, OHOTMU came out in 1982, was vastly more detail oriented, and completed its initial 15 issue run a month into Who's Who. If it was a DC idea, they sure took their sweet time executing it. So much easy to let Marvel take all the risk first, assuming it wasn't a Marvel concept in the first place. DC even hired Peter Sanderson away from OHOTMU, though they needed Mark Gruenwald as well!

H. Does DC own Gangbusters? I thought that was a radio show?

Diabolu Frank said...

I. Wait-- OHOTMU ended 11 months before Who's Who I. My bad?

J. I really did appreciate DC hiring "signature" artists. With the Demons Three, I think Sekowsky and Dillin had already passed on, so Hamilton got to saddle DC readers with unreasonable expectations the way Sandy Plunkett did with Spider-Woman villains in OHOTMU.

K. I always dug Adam Strange's costume, but the character rarely fails to bore me.

L. Don Heck probably co-created Aegeus, so this would be one of the lows of the W'sW formula. Alex Saviuk Air Waves well compliment that crappiness. Air Wave sucked so bad, he got me to stop buying DC Comics Presents over his appearance.

J. Scott Shaw! would have done a fine Zook entry. I forgive Alley-Kat-Abra though, since I liked the Zoo Crew as a kid.

K. All-SS (not better) looked swell. Jerry Ordway's art was the only reason I tried that book, and I wish his newly designed characters got more time to shine. I still love Amazing-Man, and curse James Robinson for killing him off. An extremely powerful black hero who (despite being named after a '40s obscurity) owned his legacy wholly in the DCU. Hopefully, the New 52 will retcon Ving Rhames out. Never noticed the surprint thing, so thanks for ruining it, Rob.

L. I just pimped Zeck's Punisher on Shag's blog. He did a really nifty JLA pin-up in the Green Lantern Gallery years later. Zeck was Marvel's Garcia-Lopez after Romita faded going into the '80s.

M. Ambush Bug remains one of my favorite characters. He had been appearing in Action Comics, and by this point was way off the rails. I think Fleming dying was a joke in a later AB appearance.

N. Amethyst was a great looking book that I cannot bring myself to read. Too girly.

O. Angle Man was a fairly important Wonder Woman villain who appeared in dozens of comics, including Secret Society of Super-Villains. Not cool, DC.

P. Gil Kane is a god, Shag. Shut your piehole. Animal Man's appearance in Wonder Woman was my introduction to the character, and my limited interest has always remained based on nostalgia for that issue, even after Morrison.

Diabolu Frank said...

Q. That Howie Post Anthro was... something. Kirby's Apokolips was not Marshall Rogers A-SS Headquarters (but what is?)

R. Does it gall Rob that George Perez drew the Aquakids and Chuck Patton did Aquaman? Not that I'd trade, because I love that Patton image. Never dug Tula, though. Good point about the design flaw of single page entries, regardless of the imbalance between art and text. Earth-Two Aquaman and Green Arrow were clearly an afterthought.

S. Arak was plainly a Conan knock-off. I flipped through it, and loved the later mohawk look, but never bought more than an issue or two. I owned the Remco Warlord, Deimos, and Mikola, but no Arak.

T. Arcane really wasn't drawn that well by Bissette (too squat and messy,) and Arkham Asylum wasn't too hot, either. The entry does serve to remind that Swamp Thing existed before Alan Moore, and was cool, but Moore sure ran with it.

U. A friend of mine really liked Tom Mandrake's inks over Jan Duursema, and he had a great house ad, but I never met a Kupperburg book that couldn't put me to sleep.

V. Gil Kane illustrated the Atari Force mini-comics with the original team that came packaged with cartridges. I've heard good things about the DC comics, but I don't need any.

W. Those headshots on Atlantis are awful. Good domes, though. I've never heard anybody pronounce Poseidonis. In my head, I always heard "Poe-seid-own-is," but "Pose-ide-on-is" works. Which is right, Rob?

X. I hate the second Al Pratt costume. The first was so distinct, where the second was entirely derivative. I see the point on Hoberg, but Rick looks like watered down Silver/Bronze Age, whereas Kane looks like A SUPERIOR FORM OF ARTISTIC LIFE, so there is a clear evolutionary scale at work across the two pages.

Why wouldn't I agree that SOTA was a great series? It revitalized the character and was a lot of fun, if often of the very dumb variety. The problem was POTA dropping the ball after SOTA ran out its course.

Y. It was revealed around this time that the old Atomic Knights stories were "computer-assisted fantasies," which is why Gardner Grayle is in that vile armor. I had a reprint of their early appearances back in the day, and they were pretty neat. I will defend Shag's criticism of Curt Swan, but he's off his rocker over Murphy Anderson. He's a demi-god, sir.

Z. I've got this queer affection for thigh high boots on either gender. They're just hot. Atomic Skull looks nearly identical to Mr. Bones in basic design, and I dig 'em both. It's worth noting that I never gave a rat's patootie about any of the Skull revisions.

Screw Auron, and let me say that I always found those inside back covers lame. It's just logos! Shag's a sap...

cリnical said...

Damn that Yoko Ono!

Frank, the All-Seeing Eye of the DC Universe, I got the pronunciation of Mr. Mytzlplk's name from Brandon Routh's rendition in the awful Superman Returns game. It was also verified via Wikipedia.

But I suppose the ambiguous nature of his name is what makes the joke work. ;)

At least, I hope it works...

Earth 2 Chris said...

Loved the podcast guys. I will admit this was my first podcast by the two of you, but I'm new to the podcast realm, so don't feel bad.

Oh, and Marshall Rogers studied to be an architect before getting into comics, so THAT'S why he did many of these headquarters/locale drawings for Who's Who. It also explains his absolutely gorgeous Gotham City in his Batman tales.

Around the same time he and Terry Austin did the artwork for a 3-D Super Powers board game featuring a cardboard cityscape and mini-SP game piece figures...but not Aquaman. Or Firestorm.

Chris

Russell said...

George Perez drew all of the Titans entries. Classical/original artists drew the characters that they created(if possible). Current creators drew the characters they were working on....which is why Perez did Aqualad and Patton did Aquaman. :-)

Wings1295 said...

Listening right now and loving it! I wanted to comment on Rob's comment about going to a real Comic Shop for the first time. So true! I had been a kid who always got comics from spinner racks at the local corner store and NEVER knew there was any other way to get them!

My brother brought me to a shop way out when we were teenagers and I was in AWE! There was OLD issue of Justice League! There was Who's Who and so much more. I never looked back. :)