Episode 87: Thankful for the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

 

Welcome all, and to our fellow Americans, Happy Thanksgiving! It's become a tradition here at Planet 8 for us to celebrate and be thankful for some genre-related franchise, and in the past, we've been thankful for Star Trek, Star Wars, and James Bond. This year, we are expressing our love and gratitude for the magnificent Marvel Cinematic Universe -the MCU! Now with 26 films and climbing, not to mention the MCU TV series, we've been blessed with a bountiful collection of films that created a rich, complex, and deeply rewarding experience for the viewers. 

We'll have a conversation about our early experience with the MCU, when we first started hearing about Marvel making an Iron Man film, what we thought of it and how Marvel blew us away with that and the succeeding films. 

Casting has been a big key to making the films successful, and we'll talk about our favorite castings and the ones we thought might have been crazy, but actually worked out really well. 

Of course, no discussion of the MCU would be complete without going around and talking about which Marvel movies are our favorites! With so many to choose from now, it's getting harder to pick, but we do come up with a few. Amazingly, there are few MCU films that we don't like. There may be a few that we like less...but somehow they have kept a high level of quality through the series.

The crew also talks a bit about the latest MCU film, The Eternals, so if you haven't seen that film yet, be warned! And we can't neglect all the activity on Disney Plus - four series so far, and as this episode goes live, the Hawkeye series will be hitting the airwaves in a couple of days! Where else will the Marvel Cinematic Universe go? We can't wait to see.

For the Sensor Sweep, Bob shares information about a book by his friend Norman England, Behind the Kaiju Curtain: A Journey onto Japan's Biggest Film Sets. This book is a personal record of Norman's experiences while he wrote for Fangoria and was able to visit the sets of a number of kaiju films in a professional capacity. He met many of the actors and crew on the films and the book gives you an intimate look at what went on in the Japanese film industry in the 90s. If you like kaiju films, this is a must-read! Ask for it at your local bookseller, or get it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. 

That's all for us this time. Listeners, we are also thankful for you! We appreciate you listening to us, commenting, subscribing, contacting us on Twitter and Facebook. It's great to feel a sense of community forming around Planet 8. We hope that you and yours are safe and well.

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
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Avengers Assemble!!

Episode 71: Bewitched by Wandavision

 

The first Marvel TV show on Disney + has completed its run -Wandavision! Like everyone else, your Planet 8 crew was glued to their screens, watching the show and trying to figure out what was going on! There were so many rumors and theories put forth by fans that it was hard to watch without any preconceived notions. And the sitcom veneer was unusual, and at first was a bit off-putting, but as we made our way into the show, we all came to really enjoy it!

Just a warning: as usual this post and episode is SPOILER-FILLED, so proceed at your own risk!

Once again, Marvel has taken some deep comic book history and woven it into a TV show, which is impressive enough. Hey, we never imagined we would see these characters in live action! But then, the show took on a bigger topic of grief and depression, which was totally unexpected. The way the show managed to portray Wanda's suffering over the loss of her brother and the Vision was truly moving. 

It was also just great to see more of Wanda and the Vision, two characters we liked but didn't get to see a lot of in the films. Here, the events revolve around them, although at first we're not really clear about what's going on. The mystery is part of the fun of watching the show. We also were pleased to see a number of other characters show up, like Darcy and Jimmy Woo.

Of course new characters were introduced too, most notably Monica Rambeau and Agatha Harkness. Monica seems destined to go on to super-herodom, whether as Photon or Spectrum, remains to be seen. Agatha is still around and it wouldn't be a surprise to see her show up again. Besides, she had the best theme song!

We also have a new version of the Vision, the white Vision, running around. Where will he show up next? And what will he be like? Will he and Wanda get together again?

So many questions! It's the mark of a good show that we are left wanting more. Wandavision has just left us more excited for Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as well as Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and all the other Marvel projects to come.

Before we get to the Sensor Sweep, we'd like to once again thank you listeners, for nominating Planet 8 for the Rondo Awards for Best Multimedia Site. It's an honor to be nominated for a second time for this award, which is voted on by the fans. We would be so grateful if you would consider going the final distance and voting for us in Best Multimedia Site. There are also many other categories you can vote in, such as Best Horror Host, where our friends Lord Blood-Rah and Mr. Lobo are both nominated. Check out the Rondo Award site here for details on how to vote. Note: unlike what we said in the podcast, you can only vote ONCE! 

For this episode's Sensor Sweep, Commander Larry shares a truly mammoth tome, The Stan Lee Story published by Taschen. At a huge 11.5" by 17" and 17 pounds, this book is not only a testament to Stan the Man, it's a commitment! Written by rascally Roy Thomas, it covers Stan's life and is stuffed full of art and photos. If you have the dough -and it's a wallet-busting $200 -then it can be yours. You can buy at the Taschen site, Amazon, or check your local bookseller.

All right folks, we hope you enjoyed our discussion of Wandavision and the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Please let us know your thoughts on the show and beyond. Once again, thank you for listening and supporting Planet 8!

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Remember-it was Agatha all along!

Episode 50: Giant-Sized Spider-Man 50th Episode Spectacular!

It's our big 50th episode, and have we got a show for you! This one is a Giant-Sized fun-filled tribute to one of our favorite heroes, the amazing, spectacular Spider-Man! The web-slinger has been around now for over six decades and is one of the most popular characters on the planet. Why does everyone (except J. Jonah Jameson) love Spider-Man? The Planet 8 crew, plus a couple of special guests, will explore Spider-Man through comics, TV, and film incarnations, celebrating what makes him so special compared to all the other costumed crusaders.

If you want to hear about Spidey's origins, our favorite artists, Spidey's rogues gallery, the Spider-buggy, Japanese Spider-Man, and so much more, you're in the right place!

Amazing animator Tim Eldred!

Did I mention special guests? That's right, we have two for this 50th episode spectacular! Looking at Spidey in the world of animation, artist/animator/director Tim Eldred, who has worked on five different Spider-Man animated shows, shares his thoughts and experiences. Tim's segment begins at 51:24  minutes into the episode. You can check out Tim's multimedia science fiction graphic novel Pitsberg at  Pitsberg.com, and also take a look at Greasemonkeybook.com.

The spectacular spider-writer, Gerry Conway!

Taking the place of our usual Sensor Sweep, we have a special treat: comics legend Gerry Conway! Gerry has written tons of comics, both at Marvel and DC, including Fantastic Four, Thor, Justice League, Batman, and created characters like the Punisher, Firestorm, Steel, Vixen, and many others. But he may be best known as the man who killed Spider-Man's girlfriend, Gwen Stacy! Gerry had a renowned run of Amazing Spider-Man, taking over the scripting reins from Stan Lee. It was a real thrill to have a conversation with Gerry about comics and Spider-Man in particular. The conversation begins at 2 hours and 10 minutes into the show (we saved the best for last).

Finally, thanks to all of you who have listened to and supported this happy little show for the last two years! We are having a blast putting it together twice a month, and hope to continue it for a long time. It wouldn't be nearly so much fun without hearing from you. Your comments here, and on Twitter and Facebook, have really taken this from three friends just goofing off to a whole community of like-minded friends. It's been especially important to us during these current difficult days. We hope all of you are doing well, and that our show can take your mind off things and entertain you, however briefly.

That's it, this big ol' beast is done! As always, we want to hear from you! Leave your comments here on the blog, or send them swinging our way at our other hangouts:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

Thanks for listening!

Episode 23: Captain Marvel Blasts into the Marvel Universe

Marvel's newest superstar has hit the big screen this month - Captain Marvel! Your Planet 8 crew is here to share their thoughts about the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which takes us from the intergalactic Kree Empire all the way to 1990s Earth! Yes, you'll thrill to the sight of Blockbuster Video, giant cell phones, and a very young looking Samuel Jackson! Of course, this is a SPOILER-FILLED episode, so you may not want to listen until after you've seen the movie. 

Besides discussing Captain Marvel, we'll dip into myriad other topics, such as Captain Marvel in the comics, the Agents of SHIELD TV show, Thor Ragnarok, and, of course, Avengers: Endgame (and we'll be doing an entire episode on that film, so stay tuned!). It's a wide-ranging, perhaps even a bit rambling, discussion, but that's how we do things around here!

This time around, for the Sensor Sweep segment, we decided to shine a light not on a product but on the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, which were created by David Colton and Kerry Gammill in 2002 to allow fans to vote and honor various horror-related efforts,  in film, books, and so on. This is the 17th year of voting! You can go to the link above and vote by April 20th for your favorites. We would like to humbly make a few suggestions. 

• Best Book: You can't beat Where Monsters Walked by friends of Planet 8, Gail and Ray Orwig.
• Best Website: Chief Engineer Bob has another gig -for years he has been the co-producer of SciFi Japan, with Keith Aiken, the best resource for all things kaiju-related.
• Best Multimedia Site (podcasts, etc.): We have two (OK, really three) suggestions: Kaijucast, run by Kyle Yount, devoted to Godzilla,  and Monster Kid Radio, Derek Koch's show, about classic (and not so classic) monster films -both Kyle and Derek have been really helpful to the Planet 8 crew as we've been finding our way, and they're great guys, with fun shows! And if you feel like it, you could write in a little show called Planet 8...maybe some day we'll actually get on the ballot!
• Favorite Horror Host: For us, there's no choice except Lord Blood-Rah! He's just the best, and we've had him on two episodes so far (episodes 8 and 11), and he deserves to be honored.
• Best Convention: For our money, it's gotta be Monsterpalooza! 
• Best Soundtrack: Engineer Bob recommends the Valley of Gwangi soundtrack from Intrada!

OK friends, please let us know your thoughts. Did Captain Marvel blaze, or fizzle? You can comment here, or go to our other hangouts:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

Thanks for Listening!

Episode 18: Time Keeps on Slippin'...Into the Future

If you're reading this, it means you made it! Congratulations and welcome to 2019. Your Planet 8 crew survived multiple attacks by Zanti misfits and those creeps on Planet 9, and have put together a retrospective show on 2018 -we look back on the movies and shows that came out this last year. You might be surprised by some of our favorites, and the ones we thought missed the mark. We also salute those genre actors, artists, and others who left us in 2018. Finally, we discuss what we're most excited about in this new year. Which movies and TV shows are high on the Planet 8 crew's list? You'll have to listen to find out!

For our Sensor Sweep, Mission Commander Larry brings to our attention the small but deadly Infinity Gauntlet Mini from Hot Toys (you can find the details here:
https://www.sideshowtoy.com/collectibles/marvel-infinity-gauntlet-hot-toys-903359/). This little beauty looks just like the shiny glove that wiped out half the universe in Avengers: Infinity War. It stands about 6.5" high, and it even has light-up features. Want to impress and/or terrify your co-workers? Put this on your desk!

We want to thank all of you listeners who have been tuning in and sharing with us. We appreciate your feedback! We'd love to get more comments from you, either here, or at the other places where we monitor  Earth transmissions:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

Thanks for Listening!

Episode 17: Planet 8 Warps Into the Spider-Verse!

Happy Holidays! Your Planet 8 crew is celebrating the season by getting together and talking about how much we enjoyed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse! This new animated feature was a perfect gift for your three hosts, as we are long-time Spider-Man fans. It's a fantastic-looking film that truly celebrates the Spider-Man mythos. This will be a SPOILER-FILLED discussion, so be sure to see the movie before you listen to the show! Believe us, you'll be glad you did.

We also take some time to discuss the previous film incarnations of Spidey, as well as reminisce about how we first discovered old Webhead, our favorite Spidey artists, stories, and more. It's a web-slingin' extravaganza!

A strange transmission from outside Planet 8 was intercepted this week. We're not sure what it means, but it was identified as something called "Monster Kid Radio." This could be the prelude to an invasion. We suggest you investigate, for your own safety!

This episode, Chief Engineer Bob shows off an early Christmas gift for our Sensor Sweep, the Iron Giant "Riobot" articulated figure from Sentinel. This is a super-detailed 6.30" die-cast and PVC replica of the heroic robot. This figure is crazily poseable! Check out how Bob set him up below. You can find the little big guy for sale at Big Bad Toy Store.

That's all from us this time around. Wishing everyone the happiest of holidays! We'll be back with a review of the major sci fi, super-hero, monster and other related happenings of 2018 next time. Be sure to drop by and let us know what you thought of Into the Spider-Verse, and tell us what Santa brought you! You can reach us here, or at:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

Thanks for Listening!

Episode 16: The Pros and Cons of Conventions

One of the great joys of being a fan is attending conventions. Whether you're a fan of comics, Star Trek, Star Wars, horror movies, anime, or all of the above, there's nothing quite like the thrill of going to a con and seeing your favorite writers, artists, actors, and other creators and celebrities. Or maybe you enjoy spending hours hunting down treasures in the dealers room! Sometimes just hanging out with like-minded people can make your day. Cons can provide a wealth of experiences...and while most of them make for great memories, there are also those times you'd just as soon forget!

Larry, Bob, and Karen  discuss the pros -and cons -of cons. Consider this our unvarnished look at something we generally love, but have no illusions about either. We'll go down Memory Lane and discuss conventions both old and recent, from small, grass-roots cons, to large mega-cons too. There are always those experiences you plan, and then there are those ones that just seem to happen - and sometimes, those are the most rewarding. 

For our Sensor Sweep, we look at some Star Trek goodies from a company called Quantum Mechanix (QMX). They make some beautiful metallic insignia badges that are also magnetic, so when you wear them, you won't have to put a hole in your shirt or costume. You can get ones for all the branches (Command, Sciences, Engineering, etc.). They range from about $5-15 and you can get them at their website (https://qmxonline.com/) or look on Amazon.

Let us know about your favorite convention experiences...or your worst! You know where to find us:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

Thanks for Listening!

Episode 14: A Tribute to Stan Lee

It is with heavy hearts that we put together this episode of Planet 8. Stan Lee, the face of Marvel Comics, passed away on November 12th. It's impossible to adequately relate how much Stan meant to all of us, or the magnitude of what he achieved in his life. But there was no way we could let his passing go by unnoticed. Stan not only co-created so many super-heroes that we love, but he gave us a sense of belonging. He made Marvel, and comics, feel cool. He spoke out against bigotry and spoke up for equality. His promotion of Marvel eventually led to the amazing films we have now. He brought enjoyment to so many people across the world -truly, a life to be celebrated. Excelsior.

For our Sensor Sweep, Bob salutes another person who passed on November 12th, Fred Patten. Mr. Patten was instrumental in bringing Japanese manga and  animation to America. Patten was the owner of the Graphic Story Bookshop in Long Beach, California in the 1970s, and discovered manga at Westercon in 1970. He began to import comics from Japan, and founded the Cartoon Fantasy Organization in 1978. He also consulted on a number of animated features.

That's it for now -we'll be back in a week with our regularly scheduled episode. Please feel free to share your thoughts with us, either here or on our other locations: 

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

Thanks for Listening!

Stan Lee interview clips courtesy Fandango. Closing song is Wallopin' Websnappers by Moxxi (Vaughn Smith) from the album The Spider-Man Swinging 60's Cartoon Retro Remix Collection.