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We journey through each issue of the most underrated Marvel series of the 80’s while drinking beer. Please join us in rediscovering the joy of the Power Pack comic.
Episodes
Sunday Mar 13, 2022
Sunday Mar 13, 2022
We are back with another exciting issue of comic books to talk about. We are also back with another story of teen drama and angst.
To quote Jean-Paul Sartre; Hell is other people. And that is so on the nose for this episode.
There are so many people in this book that are trying to be hell to other people in this book. You have the Runaways, Excelsior, Vic and his mom, and of course the daddy issue. And all of these people are really making Vic's life a living hell.
The poor boy was dealing with acne and keeping up with the popular music, now he has his future life of being a big bad to drag him down. People are pulling him into traps, or using big guns. It ain't cool man.
OK, I will concede that the big gun is pretty dang sweet. I mean, who would not like to wield a big old cannon to shoot fools in the face. That is taking back the power and showing others what hell is. But we digress, we need to keep talking about the angst and feelings of Vic. This is his book and he is the one who has to deal with this insanity. How would you feel if your dad turned out to be an incredibly powerful villain and a robot? You would lash out, right?
Fire, violence, angry words.... these are all strong options. Angst and teenage confusion can lead to poor choices, leading us down the path to different lifestyle or living choices. Things like loving and stroking flying vehicles.
The other big issue is family. If people are hell, then family is the cherry on top. No one can rattle your cage more than the parents. They know your buttons, especially if you are a robot.
You can visit our webpage to see the pictures we talked about: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2022/03/13/runaways-v2-5-true-believers-chapter-5/
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon, https://www.patreon.com/JeffandRickPresent. We have started to release monthly episodes for our Energizer and greater tiers. We are covering the alternate versions mini-series that started in 2005.
You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube!
We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u
Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/
Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Political Action Ad by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4227-political-action-ad License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Sunday Mar 27, 2022
Sunday Mar 27, 2022
All things must come to and end...except this podcast, which will never, ever end!
As I sit here and try to quickly sum up our snapshot into the Runaways, I have to ponder my own feelings on the book, characters, concept, and execution. When I started to get back into comics a few years ago, this was one of the first series I dove into. It was such an interesting take and perspective to the 90's era I had last been really invested in.
The art and storytelling style informed me of some of the new aesthetics prevalent in the comic book medium and it introduced me to the new audience of consumers. Except for some references to the overall universe and an occasional drop in, this was a new group that was not tied to Marvel Legacy.
I like that comic books can evolve and change. Storytelling needs to adapt to include fresh information and new content. The world consumes information at a faster pace, and the demand for improvements and new things are constant. While we may have loved the creators of our youth, we know they will not be around for ever, and we do not really want them to be trying to copy or improve on older styles.
As I am writing this, I kinda feel like an old dude that is trying to justify his love of comic books, especially those that feel aimed at a much younger target audience. And I am probably correct in thinking that the only ones still reading are fellow old nerds like myself. But, I would contend that it is ok to interact with any medium (in this case comics) in any fashion you like.
I think I have lost the thread of what I was talking about, so let me try to sum it up. I like comics. I like the old and the new, I like the success and the failures. I think that the Runaways is a great book that has new characters and fresh ideas. It has a new art style and feels of the time.
If I were to get more philosophical or delve into personal introspection, I would say that I am accepting my childhood, or reliving it. I would try to juxtapose my current moods and maturity against.....
You can visit our webpage to see the pictures we talked about: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2022/03/27/runaways-v2-6-true-believers-chapter-6/
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon, https://www.patreon.com/JeffandRickPresent. We have started to release monthly episodes for our Energizer and greater tiers. We are covering the alternate versions mini-series that started in 2005.
You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube!
We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u
Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/
Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Raving Energy (faster) by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5030-raving-energy-faster- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Sunday Apr 10, 2022
Sunday Apr 10, 2022
New series....Continuing story.....sort of.... But let's talk about this awesome cover! I mean, I am a sucker for 80's movies, and there is no more 80's movie than a John Hughes movie....Holla if you hear me!
Oh, you are a little preocupied to answer right now. I understand. This is a little more complex than your normal comic, what with it dealing with......uhm...hey....I think I know what he was looking at in that picture.
Fine, throw a disk in my eye, see if I care. Let me get back to talking about addiction and recovery. We have some former super-hero kids that are trying to not wear the tights anymore and trying to get over their trauma of the drama of their youth. But why do we, your silly bearded boys care? Because of Julie Power.
We love our flying girl and her pink onesie and her bookish ways.....What's that? Seventeen....actress...halter tops and low ride jeans....blond hair.....Nope....Nope this is not going to do at all. Wait....that is her flying!!! BURN THE EYES!
OK. The cleansing is done. On with the goofy narrative and derivative non sequiturs. How about seamstresses? We do not appreciate the work they do or the skills they have creating the clothes we wear. Let's just take a moment to review an average Marvel character on the street and evaluate their clothing choices. How about Nekra?
Wow.....That is a choice. I mean, don't ya get cold....or ever run out of double sided tape? Just have to take a minute to stare and ponder that costume for a bit....
I am getting tired of getting hit with things or blasted with Darkhawks purple beam of purpleness. I do not have to take it, and neither do you nice people. Run away while you still can!
And that was the story of how I killed all of our listeners.
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon, https://www.patreon.com/JeffandRickPresent. We have started to release monthly episodes for our Energizer and greater tiers. We are covering the alternate versions mini-series that started in 2005.
You can visit our webpage to see the pictures we talked about: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2022/04/10/the-loners-v1-1-fear-of-flying/
You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube!
We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u
Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/
Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Sheep May Safely Graze - BWV 208 by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4345-sheep-may-safely-graze---bwv-208 License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Sunday Apr 24, 2022
Sunday Apr 24, 2022
There are good days we always remember in our lives. The day you meet the love of your life, the day you take that fantastic walk where you see all of the pretty flowers, the day you pull off the perfect vending machine bingo when you get three items for the price of one, and the day you skip school with your best friends and fight crime.
You know what I am talking about. You fake the cough, you give off the vague symptoms that show something being off without a trip to the hospital. You fake out your parents, your partner, your roommates...you call into school, work, the military....you get the day off. And then....then you rock out in your underwear.
Then you reach out to those friends who are actually sick, or have the day off, or who got fired for covering for you the last time you pulled a stupid stunt like this. You convince them to get out of their pajamas (or put some on, depending on the type of day you are contemplating), and you take off to carpe the day.
Oh the hi-jinx you can pull when you are off and have no real obligations to anyone. You can party, visit museums, pretend you are the hamburger prince of Des Moines. The world is your oyster, you are the boss of you and your friends. You write the songs and sing the lyrics. You can do anything, from visiting the tallest tower, to breaking into the most broken building.
Just make sure that you take along that special someone. That person you want to spend time with, snuggle up with...smooch with. There is nothing worse than watching a school of fish swim by you at the aquarium without a partner to lock eyes and lips with.
But what if you do not have the charisma to "get away with it". What if you are more of a introvert that tries to slide by and not be noticed? What if you are more of a Rick than a Jeff? Then you need to go out and find that shining star. Don't worry, many charismatic people are looking for that perfect wing-person to make them look great. You too will find your Maverick.
If you don't take the chances to explore the world by skipping out on your responsibilities, you are missing one of life's greatest joys. You have to recharge the batteries with no responsibilities. If you don't take the time to really take that day off, then you are going to be a sad Gus, and nobody likes that.
You can visit our webpage to see the pictures we talked about: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2022/04/24/the-loners-v1-2-reflex-actions/
You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube!
We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u
Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/
Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Volatile Reaction by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5014-volatile-reaction License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Sunday May 08, 2022
Sunday May 08, 2022
Into every generation, there comes a sad sack. A person who lives to make others depressed, down, or discover that their lives are better. They live to serve as a warning to others, cautionary tales that provide guides of what not to do. Today, we will talk about these people.
The first sign that the person you hang with is the reason you are constantly down, is when you notice them talking to themselves in the mirror. While this may be a bad sign, remember that it can always get worse. The mirror could be answering them back.
Another really good sign is that the person does not like to be touched. Now, consent is everything, and no one should be touched against their will. But if you have that friend who punches butterflies when they land on their arm......Just saying. They may have a problem.
Speaking of which, we have the other side. The happy people. The sunny people. The people that will try to bring the sunshine into the grumpy pants rain cloud. This is the yin and yang, the chalk and cheese, the mortar and scotch egg.....maybe not the last one, but you get the idea.
Our dark little rain clouds really do not like people, but they really hate happy people. The brighter the smile, the more galling it is. These people have spent their lives building up walls of dark hate and misery, and then someone walks in with a can of yellow paint. That there spells trouble.
Now we do not condone violence, but we also like to give fair and proper warning to people. Do not try to go and deal with a sad sack by yourself. They are dangerous when out in the wild. They have strong feelings of mistrust and anger....or they are just lonely. Really...I am just making this all up.
Just be careful out there...ok.
You can visit our webpage to see the pictures we talked about: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2022/05/08/the-loners-v1-3-what-lies-beneath/
You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube!
We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u
Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/
Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Court of the Queen by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3557-court-of-the-queen License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Sunday May 22, 2022
Sunday May 22, 2022
Rick usually does these wacky little stories or diatribes each month, but this time he is doing something different. He is just going to set up the pictures in a random order and let Jeff describe the book or tell a story....or whatever. This is a little social experiment. He is not even going to tell him about this. Let's hope Jeff edits this one.
Memories, ah yes, the sweet heady feeling we get with the nostalgia of memories. Like looking back at childhood photos and remembering things, I look back weeks ago when I saw Rick's little social experiment, laughed, made a mental note to get back to it and then moved on with my life. Then Rick text's me asking if I had done the thing yet...gulp.
Now I have to pretend to be a functioning adult and do some writing to make a deadline of our own devising. This means that I have to cosplay like Julie and Johnny and act like someone that I am not. I hope that the special effects department is a good one to hide the rainbow of deficiencies that I am bringing to the role, as I literally just got woken up to do it.
Yup, that's right. I was asleep and dreaming on the concrete of my driveway while my daughter drove big circles around me and our car in her peddle car. I was awake enough that every time she passed by me, ringing her bell at me, that I would reach out and boop her nose and play with her until she was ready to start her long slow circle again and I would drift off waiting for her return.
Now you might sit there and look down at me in judgement, but I was exhausted and the game that we were playing prior to that was putting me to sleep on my feet. The game was called red light and it entailed me pretending to be in a car at a red light. She would then drive up behind me, ring and ring and ring her bell at me while yelling at me to move. Eventually she would drive around me and through the red light, but I was stuck at it and couldn't move. Then she would cycle around and the game would begin again.
So there I was, stuck in my "car" waiting to be allowed to move into the great big exciting world around me and not ever getting that green light. Eventually it all became to much and I pulled my "car" over to the side of the "road" and stretched out.
The warmth of the day embraced me. The podcast I was listening to lulled me to my ease and the knowledge that my entertained and happy daughter was nearby let me drift off to the edges of a pleasant slumber.
Then it all came bwwaaashhhing down. I heard my daughter dump her car and go inside so that she could have a snack and hangout with her mom. Then Rick disturbs my rest with a text, and I wake up enough to realize that I now just look like a person that may have been hit by a car in a driveway that needs help instead of the tired, partially negligent parent that is both playing with his kid and kinda taking a nap in his front yard. So up I get and into the house I go.
Any ways, in this issue Julie outs her and Johnny's superpoweredness to a movie director to get an acting gig and then said director attempts to sexually assault her because yuck. Also, some other stuff happened with the other characters, but it felt really place holdery so I wouldn't worry too much about it.
You can visit our webpage to see the pictures we talked about: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2022/05/22/the-loners-v1-4-what-you-dont-know/
You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube!
We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u
Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/
Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Thunderhead by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4528-thunderhead License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Sunday Jun 05, 2022
Sunday Jun 05, 2022
We are coming in for a landing folks, and We need know if any of these kids are going to make it. Especially when they have fights breaking out in their special place. Wow, that sounded dirty. Whatever, let's do this thing.....huh...that sounded dirty too.
So what do we have happening in this book? That is a good answer, and I can sum it up in one word, bad choices. Some may call that two words, but I would like to point out that I never learned to count, so it is not my fault. As I was saying decisions were made and the outcomes were negative. This of course means drama. Huh, drama would be a better word to sum up this issue with.
Is there drama in burgers? Sure! Especially when you call them cow sandwiches. Speaking of which, is a hotdog a sandwich or a taco? Is a taco a sandwich? Now we are talking drama, and opinions, and possibly a food fight.
And there is drama of a new person with no memory. Who is she, why is she here, what is her favorite color, how will she betray and kill us? These are the kinds of questions that lead to or from trust. Plus, she looks pretty awesome.
Then we have the drama-mama-llama-rama. This takes the cake, don't it. Goblin boy, who is off his rocker, with the power of the hawk crystal which has been ramping up Chris? This is a combo meal of doom, with a side order of DRAMA.
Buuuuuuut, I am not going to be the one to tell him that.
You can visit our webpage to see the pictures we talked about: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2022/06/05/the-loners-v1-5-chinks-in-the-armor/
You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube!
We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u
Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/
Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Clenched Teeth by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3517-clenched-teeth License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Sunday Jun 19, 2022
Sunday Jun 19, 2022
This is it, the end of the Loners....well, sort of. We still have a couple more appearances of this team, but this is the final issue of this crazy run, so we should reflect on what we have learned.
I think we can say that this series is not complete, and is a little strange. It was experimental and challenging, and unexpected. And whether you like it or not, you have to appreciate the ambition of it's creators. Experiments are not always successful, but they can be interesting.
So what failed in this series. Probably some of the re-characterization of Julie. You can see some of the characterization that Weezie originally conceived, but there are some changes that are uncomfortable. She is an underage woman who has been sexualized. While I am glad that it is not more than just the eye candy view, and her response to being attacked was great, it still felt strange.
Speaking of which, there was a definite effort to make this more of a teen+ book with the more adult themes. More relationships, discussions of addiction and trauma, and sex. There is a lot of meat that the creators where sewing into the story in order to build a future story. They just did not make it.
I would not punch this series and call it bad. I would say that the series is not for everyone, and it is not complete. But I want to recognize some of the great beats the story provided, and the discussion we had. And it is always about the journey....right?
Sometimes we read some content that leaves us feeling a couple of different ways, possibly fighting feelings about how we will land on the material. That can be good. It is always helpful to challenge the status quo. We need some growth and change...and we need to see two Darkhawks beat each other up.
We are going to see these cats in a a few more issues, but this is the end of The Loners series. Bye The Loners!
You can visit our webpage to see the pictures we talked about: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2022/06/19/the-loners-v1-6-double-identities/
You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube!
We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u
Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/
Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Clenched Teeth by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3517-clenched-teeth License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Sunday Jul 03, 2022
Sunday Jul 03, 2022
Every so often we get the opportunity to talk to someone extraordinary, this is not one of those times Extraordinary is too small of a word. Chris Eliopoulos may have has simple beginnings, just a young boy who liked doodling at pizza parlors. From there, he has gone on to having a small empire.
Chris got his break in comics to be a letterer, working on thousands of books over the years. During this time, he mad friend and had some incredible opportunities, including one to set up his own digital lettering shop. Virtual Calligraphy (VC) now completes the majority of the Marvel digital lettering.
His love of drawing never diminished, and he was able to contribute to a few books before he got the opportunity to develop a series dear to our hearts, Franklin Richarrds, Son of a Genius. A truly fun and entertaining series that utilizes his great whimsy and talent to create a unique take on the child of our second favorite team of four.
But that is not all. Chris is also the co-writer and artist of the very successful I Am series of books. These children's books look at the fascinating lives of histories most important figures. Presenting them in an easy to digest format.
And then, just to cap it all off he also has his own TV show. Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, which is about Xavier, his sister and their friends at the Secret Museum. They time travel to the past to interact and learn from historical heroes.
This just goes to show you that your dreams can come true, even if you only want to draw on napkins in a pizza parlor.
You can visit our webpage to see the pictures we talked about:
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon, https://www.patreon.com/JeffandRickPresent. We have started to release monthly episodes for our Energizer and greater tiers. We are covering the alternate versions mini-series that started in 2005.
You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube!
We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u
Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/
Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sunday Jul 17, 2022
Sunday Jul 17, 2022
Time to break out that holly, eggnog, and mistletoe, we need to have ourselves a merry little holiday party with The Loners.
Don't be too confused, this all makes perfect sense. See, we are releasing this July, with the sun blazing and the total lack of snow. This is the perfect time to think about all things winter, and cold, and not hot.
OK, I am stretching to make this make sense, but whatever...just go with it. You know, I do a lot for you people. I give and I give and I give....and I try to make things original. You know, sitting here writing is really hard.
Maybe I am just whining. Maybe I just want to be out and about. Maybe I am antsy to go camping but I decided to tie myself up with a couple of recordings right before I was supposed to leave. Maybe I should just kick someone in the face.
Nah, that is too mean. I should just be like Julie, happy to be hanging with my friends...and flying.
Wait a minute! I CAN'T FLY!
Happy (non) Holidays to you all.
Please check out some images mentioned on the show: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2022/07/17/marvel-holiday-special-2007-secret-santa/
You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube!
We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u
Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/
Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Summer Hit by WinnieTheMoog
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6036-summer-hit
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license