You can listen to the episode by clicking: Episode 126
Great news folks! We have an actual expert on the show! You know, someone who actually reads comic books, studies them, and has written a few books! It’s true, we actually got a real life author and he wanted to come on to our little show to talk about Spider-Man and his Fantastic Friends. So put your paws together and welcome Douglas Wolk, author of the Eisner award winning All of the Marvels!
And what are All of the Marvels, well it is a book. As we know, books are made with paper, the same type of material used to make comic books and bills. So, why am I telling you this? Why to waste your time of course.
But in all seriousness, All of the Marvels is one mans journey through the complex and twisted world of all of the stories published by Marvel Comics. That is right, this guy read all the comics…..at least the ones published by Marvel. So, that is pretty cool….right. Yeah….that is pretty cool.
Now, what has this to do with Spider-Man you may ask. First, thank you for asking, and second…well, Spider-Man is one of the main dudes in the Marvel bullpen. He is the guy, the web-head, the poster boy. He is the lynch pin. He is the world. Everybody wants to meet him.
Ok, he is one of many super-heroes in the Marvel Universe. Just like the former Fantastic Four. And together they make a wonderful team that goes wherever the story tells them to go. That is so cool. I wish I could go anywhere.
If I could go anywhere, it would be to the Marvel Universe. And I am not just saying that because it is on brand. No, I mean it. What an exciting place full of stories, and characters, and monsters, and horrifying death and destruction. Hang on….wait a minute…this may just be a horrible idea.
But what about this concept of all of the stories being part of one continuous saga that has not and will not end. That is pretty neat, having the legacy of characters and situations to weave multiple narratives throughout time. And to be able to say that you have read all of the books and developed a thesis on how it all works and fits…well that is just a mind bender itself.
I guess, in closing, we should remember one important thing. Comic books are fun, they are entertaining, they are influential and insightful. Like any art, they are subjective and reactionary. However you decide to incorporate them into your lives, that will probably be the best answer. I am not sure what question I am answering, but it is a statement that I have just made.
And so, until next time, have a good day, and check out Douglas Wolk’s book, All of the Marvels.
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Jeff and Rick Present 
Good afternoon to you fine gentlemen!
I just finished up listening to episode 126 and really enjoyed your conversation with Douglas. In my limited interactions with him on Twitter, he seems pretty amiable and genuine, so it is nice to see that assumption is actually a fact. One of you made the analogy of the conversation to being similar of at a comics shop. Comics twitter had the same kind of vibe years ago, but, given all that has transpired since the companies purchase, now not so much. I don’t know if I am the only one having to search for friends on that app because they are not in my current timeline. It stinks though because not too long ago, my mutuals seemed more visible than they are now.
Dan Slott’s run on Amazing Spider-Man has been one I read off and on. I remember characters like Carlie and some different art in seemingly each new issue. If memory serves me correctly, this book was coming out bi-weekly for a while until it got to a landmark number and changed to Superior Spider-man. I have read that Slott’s run overall is in the top echelon of runs for the character, and someday hope to amend not reading his run. I just have a sizable stack of books to read still. The chorus of being a bibliophile is never seeming to have enough books to read.
I had forgotten that Javier Pulido did the art for some ASM. I remember him coming aboard Fraction and Aja’s Hawkeye series as the fill in. There his style seemed to compliment Aja’s more than say here. Going off memory, I want to say Humberto Ramos was illustrating ASM at the time, but, I could be completely off base.( This is why I should always have Google open in a separate tab) I do remember seeing Pulido doing art work for The Human Target written by Peter Milligan way back in the day.
So, will the show stay with the Spider-Man book for a few more episodes? FF seemed to have so many spinning plates in plot threads, Alex and the kids weren’t always in each issue.
Well, I will log off for now. The area where I live has been getting rounds of wintry mix and sleet for the past 2 days, with more to come. I hope the weather is far fairer in the beautiful country of Oregon.
Until next time,
Jeremy
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Afternoon, my friend!
Hard to tell what a person is really like when you have only had limited interactions with them, but he did indeed seem like a pretty cool dude. I would have liked to have been able to talk to him longer about our mutuals, but we don’t always get what we want. Still, it was nice to get a chance to Zoom meet him.
As to the online community stuff. Sad to say I was never really part of any. Still, I know plenty of people that have, and they have many a fond memory of their time there.
I believe that I read the entirety of Slott’s run, but I might be lying to you. Time and tides washing away things and all that. Still, going back to that well might be a good way to pass some time…that I don’t have…because I am swamped with life and failing at so many different tasks. Ugh. I do hear you on the never having enough to read. So many books I want to give my lack of time to right now.
I am so bad at keeping up with who wrote and who arted stuff. Outside of a few notable exceptions, that info just washes over my smooth brain. Power to you for recalling what you can recall. I am impressed.
As to sticking with Spidey…let me check some scripts…yup, we will be going back to that well in the future. Can’t say how many times we will, but we will. Some of the things we are covering are the barest dips in. Heck, our next recording is due to a single panel. Still, we doing what we doing.
Don’t remember what the weather was like a month ago, but we did just get finished with a sorta surprise snowstorm recently. In fact, watched it snow for an hour or so this morning. Nothing stuck, but it is pretty.
Later, buddy.
-Jeff
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Ooo, you know I love me some Spiders-Man! Of course, I own all of Dan Slott’s run, so it’s a treat hearing you all discuss this issue. Definitely a fun story, giving a taste of how Slott would write the FF if given the chance, which he does right after finishing ASM. Peter’s relationship with Carlie is so frustrating, because it shows how absolutely awful Peter is at it. I mean, I was terrible at dating life myself, but Peter takes it to a whole new level, while thinking he’s being a nice guy. Ugh!
Was it said how great it is seeing Franklin wearing his Spider-Man PJs while riding a HERBIE-cycle? If not, then I said it!
Excellent discussion, my Pack-Men, and Doug was a fantastic guest! (Get it? Get it?)
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Hiya, Tim!
I do for a fact know that you love yourself some Man of Spiders…and you know that I do too. I need to go back and read that run. In fact, I think that I am about two years out of date on modern comics. I was a reading machine on most of the titles that were coming out, then stuff happened, and I had to focus my time elsewhere. Man, I really want to read more stuff right now. Having a hard enough time just going over what we cover, which makes me sad. Ah well, I will find time for it in the future I am guessing.
Pete’s relationships with anybody tends to be a lot messier than they need to be. But I get why that is. Balancing work, life, secret life, clones, goblins and what not is gonna make dating tricky. That and all the lying…especially all the lying.
Franklin wearing his Spider-Man PJs while riding a HERBIE-cycle was NOT mentioned by us, and that is an omission that will haunt me till my dying day…or until I forget about it, whichever comes first. But credit and hats off to you good sir for mentioning it.
Glad you liked the episode, and are you sure that Douglas was fantastic? Why not spectacular? Or what about friendly? Or maybe even web of? Something along those lines seems right.
Later, my fantastic friend!
-Jeff
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