From Claremont to Claremont: An X-Men Podcast, Episode 1 - October, 1991

Welcome, Friends!  We are beyond x-cited to start this new adventure!  Welcome to FROM CLAREMONT TO CLAREMONT: AN X-MEN PODCAST, where I will be taking a trip back and cover the era of X-Books that made me a lifelong fan... and I've brought a great group of friends with me for the ride!  We've got Mutant Angst, deaths that won't stick, shoulder pads, weird floating babies, a constipated Dr. Strange, not one but TWO Coolometers, and a whole lot more! 

For our maiden voyage, we are looking at all of the X-Men titles with an October, 1991 cover-date... also known as that month when X-Men (vol.2) launched and broke all sorts of records!  It's gonna be a great time, please consider coming along!

If you do, Welcome to From Claremont to Claremont... we hope you survive the experience... like literally, the show is many many hours long!

Cosmic Treadmill ep. 145 - Logan's Run (1977)

Hello, Runners! In this episode, dystopian love slaves Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) examine the future world of hedonism and group suicide when they read Marvel Comics' Logan's Run #6, written by John Warner and drawn by Tom Sutton and Terry Austin! After discussing the film that this series initially adapted, they dive right into the first comic book after that five-issue adaptation that was meant to continue the story, despite the wishes of the movie studio. And while they're at it, our New-You patrons divulge the plot of the seventh and final issue. They talk about why this series was so quickly truncated, then talk about the original novel by William F. Nolan, and the many adaptations and incarnations that resulted over the years. You'll need your running shoes for this one, don't miss it!

Morituri Mondays, Episode 9 - Strikeforce: Morituri #9 (8/87)

Greetings, fellow Weekday Warriors!

Morituri Mondays is back, and we're primed to take a look at the ninth issue of Strikeforce: Morituri.  After a touching reunion with a feared-dead friend, our team has a pizza party and eventually breaks every rule in the book in order to once again try and protect a certain chocolate factory!

Speaking of chocolate... today Chris and Chris conduct a most scientific challenge ever attempted.  It is the great M&Ms vs. Smarties Challenge!  Canadian Chris has American Chris try the candy of his homeland... and challenges him to "pick a side" in the bite-sized candy Civil War!  It's a story of tragedy, triumph... and cheating on a diet!  We challenge y'all to also chime in on your preferred rainbow-colored, melts in your mouth not in your hand type things!

Also: Plenty of back-matter nonsense!  A Letters Page!  Bullpen Bulletins!  A Pro-File on one of the Fifty Most Eligible Bachelors in America (according to Playgirl Magazine)!  And much, much more!  It's a great time as always, give it a listen!

Remember to reach out to join the Morituri Cause and help us fight back the Horde!  DM @AceComics and @Charlton_Hero on Twitter to sign up!

Your August, 1987 Strikeforce: Morituri Roster - Radian, Adept, Blackthorn, Marathon (???), Scaredycat, Scatterbrain, Toxyn

Alumni - Snapdragon (#4), Vyking (#6)

Morituri Mondays, Episode 8 - Strikeforce: Morituri #8 (7/87)

Guilt-Stricken, sobbin' with our heads on the floor... today, we meet The Freshmen!

That's right, gang... today we get up-close and personal with those newbies that, for the past couple of issues, have been cookin' in Dr. Tuolema's proverbial "kitchen".  Not only do we meet 'em, we accompany them on their first actual mission as part of the team... and, ho boy, it is quite the trial by fire!

All that, and we also tell you how you can become:

• An Orange Big Shot... with Tang!
• A Neighborhood Ninja... with Lady Shogun
• Part of a club, that's made for you and me... with Em Eye See (see ya real soon...)

Remember to reach out to join the Morituri Cause and help us fight back the Horde!  DM @AceComics and @Charlton_Hero on Twitter to sign up!

Your July, 1987 Strikeforce: Morituri Roster - Radian, Adept, Blackthorn, Marathon (???), Scaredycat, Scatterbrain, Toxyn

Alumni - Snapdragon (#4), Vyking (#6)

ReMarvel, Episode 6: The X-Men & Me / Me & the X-Men

What's happenin', mutants?

Today I go off-the-cuff and share my life and times as an X-Fan.  From the gimmicky nineties, through the event-heavy aughts, and into the reboot-heavy present.  Up until a few years ago, the X-Men have always been a "comfort food" for me... and I'm doing my darnedest to get that feeling back!All that, and some news about the future of the show!

Note: If you're a regular listener, the first 5-10 minutes will be bits of stories you've likely already heard... at least once!

Morituri Mondays, Episode 7 - Strikeforce: Morituri #7 (6/87)

Harold is dead.

The team is barreling toward the Horde flagship... without their leader, without a plan, without weapons... and without a clue!

Will the Strikeforce rise to the occasion... or crumble under the pressure?  It's their toughest challenge to date... and when it's all over, they might find their number dwindling even more!

Also: Flyin' Kites with Rain-Blo, the hunt for Bazooka Joe, skateboarding misadventures, and cheap magic tricks!

Remember to reach out to join the Morituri Cause and help us fight back the Horde!  DM @AceComics and @Charlton_Hero on Twitter to sign up!

Your June, 1987 Strikeforce: Morituri Roster - Radian, Adept, Blackthorn, Marathon

Alumni - Snapdragon (#4), Vyking (#6)

ReMarvel, Episode 5: Generation X Underground Special (1998)

Sup fellow kids?

In this mega-epic, over-the-top, super funkified fifth installment of ReMarvel, I'm gonna take you deep into the underground, when we take a look at the Generation X Underground Special, written and drawn by Jim Mahfood... who your host once got a dirty look from!

Yes, it's another X-Family book... I'm sorry.

Also, I talk about my brand new mutant ability to destroy all the tech in my life and empty out a bank account... as well as share my thoughts on the "current year" Dawn of X stories I have read so far!

Fun Stuff From Inside:

Morituri Mondays, Episode 6 - Strikeforce: Morituri #6 (5/87)

For all y'all in the know... this is the big one.  For all y'all that don't... buckle in!

When our Strikeforcers are sent to Holowood for a little R & R, their time off is anything but restful or relaxing!  It doesn't take long for the baddies to show their bulbous chins, and interrupt our team's attempt at tripping the light fantastic in scenic Los Anheles!  The Horde is bored, the team's going stir-crazy, Aline and Robert are losing their marbles... and we've got an ending nobody saw coming!

It's a pulse (and pillow) pounding issue, make sure to hold on to your Ugly Balls!

ReMarvel, Episode 4: X-Force #71 (1997)

They say you can't go home again... and today we will test that theory on multiple fronts!

After sharing a brief audio-version of a vacation slideshow (please listen anyway!), I tell the story of how a strange and X-Perimental new direction for X-Force helped bring me back into comics fandom after walking away two years earlier!  All that, and a deep dive into the first Road Trip-era issue!

Episodes Mentioned during this Program:

Chris is on Infinite Earths, Episode 23: The Move from NY to AZ

ReMarvel, Episode 3: Walking Away From Comics

Morituri Mondays, Episode 5 - Strikeforce: Morituri #5 (4/87)

Mori-Tuesday?  Sure, why not!

A day late, and a dollar short... Morituri Mondays is at it again, and this time out our team of heroes are in mourning... the lovely Lorna wound up succumbing to the strain of the Morituri Process!  The crew doesn't get to mourn for long however, as the Horde has chosen just this moment to invade the hearts, minds, and skin of suburban Illinois!  Will the team be able to fight through the paranoia of propaganda... or will they lose yet another member?!

Also: Fun with Accents!  Hivemind Mentalities!  A Smarties Update!  Selling Prizes for Cash!  The final two parts of Gumby and Pokey in Gum-Dinger Land!

ReMarvel, Episode 3: X-Men (vol.2) #45 (1995)

There are many times in the life and times of a comics enthusiast where walking away might be smartest option.  Naturally, as comics enthusiasts, very seldom do we actually do so!  Today, I'm going to share the story of the first time I ever "walked away".  All that, and we get to go through a pretty great issue of X-Men!

The concept of "walking away" is one I'm very interested in as a fan... and I would love to hear any stories you might have about times in which you might have stopped collecting or reading... why you finally pulled that trigger... and, since we're all still comics enthusiasts: what brought you back?

Morituri Mondays, Episode 4 - Strikeforce: Morituri #4 (3/87)

T.G.I.M. ... is probably what nobody thought as they hurled their alarm clock into the wall this morning... but, we'd like to hope that our journey through Marvel Earth-1287 puts a little spring into your step as you embark upon a brand new week... so full of possibilities!  And if not, you can still say to yourself, "At least I'm not Harold!"

This time out, Chris and Chris (@Charlton_Hero @acecomics) join our team of Super-Celebs as they take in the adulation of their adoring public... it's a "Media Bash" for Strikeforce: Morituri... their own line of comics, their own set of home videos... moy-chandizing, moy-chandizing!  Their party, however, might just be crashed by the Horde looking to even the score from their defeat last issue!  It's a party... not everyone is guaranteed to survive!

ReMarvel, Episode 1: Omega the Unknown #1 (1976)

Long before I was a coffee cup with the DC Bullet logo on it, I (Chris) was a bona fide Marvel Zombie!  That all changed during the mid-2000's, and my fandom only dwindled from there... to the point where I now have zero (count 'em, zero) Marvel Comics on my pull list.  Being an all-or-nothing sort, I kinda let the perceived "Sins of the Sons" be visited upon the "Father", so to speak... and found that I could no longer appreciate anything that ever came out from Marvel.  New, old, whatever... I was no longer able to dig it!

I'd like to rectify that... and this program is the first step toward that goal.

Morituri Mondays, Episode 2 - Strikeforce: Morituri #2 (1/87)

Happy Monday, Gang!

In this episode, Chris and Chris join our new recruits as they have their new powers forcibly jump-started!  Ya see, it's not enough to have the Morituri Formula in yer veins to make you a hero... you also gotta eventually manifest a useful power!  What better way than to cram 'em all into the pressure cooker known only as "The Garden"?

Morituri Mondays, Episode 1 - Strikeforce: Morituri #1 (12/86)

You, who are about to listen... We Salute You!

Welcome friends to the first title-centric series here at the Chris and Reggie Channel as Chris (@acecomics) and... Chris (@Charlton_Hero) take you on a guided tour of Marvel's Earth-1287, a world with an alien invasion situation, and unfortunately for them, a world without super-heroes... that is, until Dr. Kimmo Tuolema devised the Morituri Process.  A process, under which superpowers could be granted to certain "lucky" folks... but at rather a high-cost.  The individual getting those powers is doomed to burn-out and perish within the next 12 months.

Cosmic Treadmill ep. 141 - William Shatner's TekWorld #1 (1992)

Hello, comics enthusiasts! In this episode, tekheads Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) dive into the world of the future...which would actually be somewhat close to the present, when we read William Shatner's TekWorld #1 by Ron Goulart and Lee Sullivan, published by Marvel Comics, through their Epic imprint, in 1992! After some biographical information about Goulart, Sullivan, and Shatner, the voice androids read every futuristic page of the issue. Then, they talk about what happened with the rest of the TekWar property, including the desktop video game and trading cards that came with it. The episode wraps up with a look at William Shatner's music career, and how he learned to embrace his fans! It's a Shatner-filled episode, you don't wanna miss it!

Reggie's Comics Stories ep. 15 - The Great Marvel Exodus

Hey folks! In this episode, Reggie (@reggiereggie) looks at an article from Comic Book Artist #7, compiled by Chris Knowles titled "The Great Marvel Exodus." Normally, the number of creators that left in the late 1970s is attributed to Jim Shooter's promotion to Editor-in-Chief, but after reading these recollections by the actual creators in question, we see that things are not so cut-and-dry. It's another unsolicited promotion for TwoMorrows Publishing, so be sure to head over to twomorrows.com and check 'em out!

Reggie's Comics Stories ep. 13 - Not Brand Echh!

Hey, comicskateers! In this episode, the fershlugginer Reggie (@reggieregge) reads the beginning of an article written by Roy Thomas for Alter Ego magazine #95 (July 2010), all about the origins of Marvel Comics' self-parody series, "Not" Brand Echh! There's lots of theretofore-untold information about this humor comic book, as well as Reggie's lamentations that the industry doesn't seem to be having as much fun anymore. Who says a podcast has to be good?

Cosmic Treadmill ep. 137 - Street Poet Ray #1 (1990)

Greetings, comics enthusastniks! In this episode, urban poets Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) check out the rhythms and meter of truth when they read Michael Redmond and Junko Hosizawa's Street Poet Ray #1, published by Marvel Comics in 1990! After revealing what scant biographical information could be found on the creators, the folksy duo read every "rap-haiku" in the issue, and talk about the subjects therein. Then, they give a brief history of the Beat Generation, their influences and outcomes--one of which would be this very comic book! Grok that, hipsters!

Chris is on Infinite Earths, Episode 15: The Man of Steel #1 (1986)

Hello Heroes!

This time out we discuss The Man of Steel #1... the first, The Man of Steel #1, that is... written and drawn by John Byrne.  Before getting into the book itself, we take a quick peek into that strange time where Superman, and many of DC's top books, were very nearly published by... Marvel Comics?!

From there, we jump into the book... and compare the finished product (of the first issue) to what's known about John Byrne's original "Marvel Comics' Superman" pitch.  Is what we wound up getting: better, worse, or exactly the same?  Gonna have to listen to find out!

Sticking with the Byrne-Superman theme, this week's HOT TAKE Segment will feature a USENET post from October, 1985... right around the time that Byrne's pending arrival at DC Comics was no longer a rumor!  It's a fun time as always, if ya got a minute (or 40), give it a listen!