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Hugh Likes Podcasts: Cerebro

September 18, 2020

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Cerebro
Hosted by Connor Goldsmith
https://www.connorgoldsmith.com/cerebro

The Skinny: What we talk about when we talk about X-Men characters.

If there are two topics I am continually drawn to in my podcast listening, they are Writing and Queer-friendly X-Men content. And while the later is a bit more niche than the former, Cerebro, a new podcast from Literary Agent and X-Men fan Connor Goldsmith is the rare center point in that particular Venn diagram.
Each episode, Connor sits down with a fellow fan and discusses a specific X-Men character from the comics, doing a deep dive on their history, continuity, and retcons. So far he’s covered Psylocke, Nightcrawler, and Emma Frost.
This could be just your run-of-the-mill fancast, but Connor’s impeccable choice of guests elevates the discourse by including writers, editors, and culture critics. The first episode’s guest is Tini Howard, who is currently writing Excalibur. Thus, not only is the podcast a celebration of a character and their publication history, but an examination of the guest’s interpretation of that character and their own work. It was eye-opening to hear a creator’s thoughts on a character she is currently writing in so open and informal a setting.
Cerebro is available from all the usual podcast sources, on Twitter, or from Connor’s Website. I heartily recommend it.

Hugh Likes Podcasts: Journey Into Misery

April 27, 2016

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Journey Into Misery
Hosted by Helena Hart and Keiran Shiach
JIMPodcast.com
JIMPodcast
Comics continuity can really suck.  With the  wrong writer, it can be a confounding mess that ruins favorite characters, and even in the best hands, it creates a barrier of entry for new readers.  But as media becomes more and more serialized, continuity becomes more and more omnipresent in entertainment.
Fortunately, The Journey Into Misery podcast is here to help.  Each episode, Keiran Shiach introduces a new character, event, or creator run of superhero comics to his cohost and partner Helena Hart.  In the wrong hands, this could come off as a dour, mans-plainy mess, hence the title, but the pair make every show a delight.
First of all the chemistry between the pair is immediately evident.  They each bring something to the podcast that makes it more than the sum of its parts.  Keiran’s breakneck descriptions are lightning-fast but still easy to follow.  He’s both patient and skilled at explaining some of the weirdest bits of DC and Marvel continuity.  And Helena’s enthusiasm and interest are infectious, elevating even the worst of comics concepts.  The pair has covered all sorts of topics from Batman: Knightfall and The Spider-Man Clone Sage to Runaways and Final Crisis.  They even did a delightful April Fools Day episode where they turned the tables and Helena explained the plot of one of her favorite bits of pop culture, Les Miserables.
Catching up on comics continuity can be a joyless, gate-keeping slog, but with podcasts like Journey Into Misery, you can still enjoy the ride.  Visit JIMPodcast.com or subscribe in your preferred podcatcher.

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