Monthly Archives: January 2016

Podcast

Comic Timing – Episode 176: A Raging Review of 2015

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Just like that, 2015 has shrunk in between the atoms, never to be seen again! In its place stands 2016, which also happens to be the 10th year of Comic Timing. And what better way to start off this milestone year than with two of Brent and Ian’s mos regular guests: Sean Whelan and Jim Segulin of the Raging Bullets podcast! The crew of four go over Secret Wars and Convergence, some of their favorite comics and comic related media of this past year, and some things that are older than that but were discovered in 2015. There’s also a decent amount of Star Wars talk to be had, including everyone’s (except for Jim who hasn’t seen it yet) overall impressions of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Plus, random segues into talking about meatloaf the food, Meatloaf the singer, and Fuller House. And, shock of shocks, we mention Fant4stic. It’s a grand old time, I tells ya! WHATISH!

As always – we are sponsored by the newly redesigned DCBS! That’s right! Discount Comic Book Service! All comics from major publishers like Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse are 40% off or more. And hardcovers and trade paperbacks from Marvel and DC are at least 50% off! Plus, be sure to check out their Comixology digital storefront for even further savings!

Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for information on our Patreon, which should be launching right at the begnning of February. If you want to support Comic Timing and help keep it going for years to come, that’s one of the many ways you can do so. You can e-mail the show at comictiming@gmail.com and be sure to Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ComicTiming. You can follow Ian on Twitter @i_am_scifi, or on Tumblr at heehaw-ds9.tumblr.com; Brent is on Twitter too @kossinab.

Thanks to all you listeners out there, and here’s to one heck of a 2016!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:34:17 — 88.2MB)

Editorial

Editorial: Media Shouldn’t Be A Chore

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Hey, guys. Comic Timing is in between episodes at this point, so I figured I’d post an editorial to keep things going a bit til the next one is out. First off, welcome to 2016. I hope 2015 treated you well, and that 2016 is even better. As the calendar turns over again, and as I get another month older (my next birthday is later this month, like it always is), I’m at a point in my entertainment consumption where I no longer want to watch things for the sake of watching them, or read comics just because they’re comics and I’m a comic book reader. Forget all that.

Thanks to the success of comic book movies and TV shows, we’re at a point in geek culture where there is an absolute wealth of content available at our fingertips. At any particular moment, you can turn on a network and they could be showing a film that belongs to Marvel, DC, or otherwise. Same can be said for what’s available on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Vudu, PSN, and so on. Doesn’t mean they’re all good, but they’re out there. Over the past few months, there have been some of these movies and shows that have completely wowed me. Others haven’t. Anybody who listens to the show, specifically our latest TV catch-up episode, knows that I’m about a half season behind on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I watched the season premiere and it just didn’t do it for me; the show has just barely been scratching my Marvel itch since its inception, other than a terrific arc apiece in Seasons 1 and 2. Supergirl is another one I’ve had trouble getting into. It’s made for the lowest common denominator, like most CBS shows, meaning that the tone is light and peppy to try and appeal to young and old alike. And that’s awesome! I’m really happy to see it on the air, and that girls and boys alike have a new role model to look up to. But after a strong pilot, the next few episodes fell flat for me story-wise. It felt like the show desperately needed depth. And so I haven’t caught up. Yet here I am, having finished Jessica Jones in just a few weeks time, I’ve watched just about the whole season of the One-Punch Man Anime over the past few days, and I’m just about day and date with The Flash and Arrow when those air.

And then there’s comics themselves. Over the past year, a bunch of my physical collection has been sold off to Wildpig Comics, and my monthly ordering has dropped off substantially. I’m about a month or two away from switching entirely digital to serve my needs, as with that there’s a lot less stuff waiting around to be read and taking up space. Monthly DC Comics aren’t hitting it for me, and Marvel Comics I read, but not right away. Yet I cannot wait to read the next volume of Saga, or the Multiversity Deluxe Hardcover I received for Chirstmukkah this holiday season. Others are up to date and loving everything as it comes out, and that’s okay. But it seems my habits and tastes are changing there too.

On the movie front, the trailer for Captain America: Civil War has me wanting to line up to watch it at the very earliest possible moment. But, shock of shocks, Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice isn’t cutting it. Star Wars: The Force Awakens made me feel like a kid again, but I’m worried that Star Trek Beyond might make me feel the complete opposite. And you know what? That’s okay too.

Call it getting older, being crotchety, pivoting, or whatever you want to call it. But I don’t want any of my hobbies to become a chore. I’m planning on treating these shows, movies, and books just like I treat podcasting: the minute I stop having fun is the minute it’s time to do something else. The wealth of options currently available to us all allows me to respond to somebody who says, “Hey! You’re a comic book fan! You must love __________!” with, “Not really, doesn’t do it for me. But ________ is great!” There’s only so many hours in the day, and I want to spend them doing and watching things I enjoy, instead of just barely getting through things that aren’t compelling or interesting to me. And there’s so many options available now that you can even like two zombie shows (iZombie and The Walking Dead), and still have one or more you ignore entirely (Fear The Walking Dead)! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be off in the corner mainlining all the episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars as I continue my latest obsession.