This week, the boys celebrate a belated Canada Day by talking about how they spent their long weekends and needlessly provoking America on the Fourth of July (with love).  After a rambling conversation that includes the Sabrina the Teenage Witch episode on TV in the background, talk moves to comics the boys have loved recently and why recent announcements like Marvel NOW! and Chris Roberson and Allison Baker's new MonkeyBrain Comics publishing company are reason to be excited about where the comics industry is heading.

The music in the episode's outro is "This Song," the new single from Eugene Ahn, aka Adam WarRock.  Euge just finished his annual donation drive, featuring this great song and his first ever music video.  Head to his site and check out his music, including some for purchase and a lot for free.  You'll be glad you did, and the optimism in "This Song" is the perfect companion to the discussion in this episode.

It's the half-year special!  That's right, it's been exactly half a year that Brandon and James have been making you regret asking for a podcast.  This week, the boys talk about two new television shows they love, The Newsroom and - for yet another week - Bunheads, and the value of optimism in media.  They also introduce the phrase "straight-up rucked" to the popular vernacular.  After talking about some recent comics they loved, they also delve into Matt "Matty Dubs" Wilson's question over at ComicsAlliance: why aren't comics funnier?  Send in your letters of disapproval of James' answer to bschatz AT comicstheblog DOT COM.

Plus, James legitimately waves a knife at Brandon like a dozen times.

It's another guest-less episode!  This week, the boys talk about Bunheads, the new television show from Amy Sherman-Palladino (of Gilmore Girls fame), the wonder that is Alan Ruck, and James talks about how he just met the most charming lesbians at a party this last weekend.  Next, the conversation turns to comics, and wraps up with James' rant about Adam Carolla's recent misogyny and why people should ignore it in favour of focusing on actual issues of gender that don't give publicity to controversy-baiting comedians.

This week, the boys sit down with acclaimed writer (and site inspiration) Matt Fraction.  Matt is the Eisner Award-winning writer of The Five Fists of Science, The Mighty Thor, Defenders and, of course, Casanova!  As Casanova's third arc comes to a close on June 20th with Avaritia #4, Matt was kind enough to sit down with us for a talk about the series, coming back to it after a lengthy hiatus, how his writing has changed as his life has and where the series goes from here.  Along the way, the conversation goes delightfully off-topic, encompassing Ridley Scott and baseball, and James gives Matt no fewer than two reasons to cuss at him.

It was pretty great.

Find Matt online at:

Twitter: @mattfraction

Web: mattfraction.com

See Matt and the rest of Fraction DeConnick Investigations June 22-24 at HeroesCon in Charlotte, North Carolina.

And don't forget to pick up Casanova: Avaritia #4, the amazing conclusion to the series' third arc, on Wednesday, June 20th, 2012!

This week, the boys regroup after Brandon's hectic week the only way they know how: through wonderfully terrible television.  After discussing Brandon's movie experience, the boys talk about Ancient Aliens, which takes the prize as the most insane show on The History Channel, which is mostly known for its shows about Nazis, pawn shops and Brad Meltzer.  Next, they move into a discussion of recent comics they've enjoyed and, finally, wade into the backlash against DC Comics for their press release about Alan Scott being relaunched as a gay character.

This week, the boys discuss Brandon's impending move and how, to cut down on the amount of stuff he owns, Brandon inflicted it on James instead.  Next, they have a spoiler-filled discussion of this week's Game of Thrones episode, "Blackwater," and the nature of adapting a popular piece of fiction to another medium.  Finally, they talk about comics because it's in the title of the dang podcast.

WARNING: The discussion of Game of Thrones in this episode has spoilers about this week's episode, "Blackwater," and the series to date.  If you don't want to have plot points ruined for you, skip from 14:00 to 22:20. LISTEN SAFELY!

This week, the boys welcome their good friend, music writer, former colleague and fellow weird-Twitter-joke-maker Scott Williams to the show as a special guest co-host!  We're not going to say he's actually famed inker/Jim Lee collaborator, but we're not going to not do a cheap ploy, either.

Fun!

Get ready for a long episode, one with even less structure than we're known for.  Part serious discussion of media criticism theory, part discussion of Big Star and discovering music, part discussion of Community and other television shows, there's a lot here.

Find Scott at:

Twitter: @scottowilliams

Web: Sound of the Week

This week, the boys start off by talking about their apartments - Brandon is moving out of his to live with his girlfriend and there was a fire in the building next to James', which finally made him "remember" to get tenant's insurance.  Next, they talk about their various sitcom and screenplay ideas, realize again that they can never run for office and finally, talk about some comics.  It's not like that's actually in the name of the podcast or anything.

This week, the boys finish their coverage from the 2012 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo with some on location interviews.  After a lengthy warm-up with a discussion of Free Comic Book Day, TV and some comics they enjoyed recently, the boys present interviews James did on the floor of the convention with Riley Rossmo (Green Wake, Rebel Blood and the upcoming Debris and Wild Children), Kurtis J. Wiebe (Green Wake, Peter Panzerfaust, The Intrepids and Debris) and Archie artist extraordinaire, Dan Parent.  Witness James geeking out as he meets one of the greatest Archie artists of all time!

Find Riley on the web or on Twitter at @rileyrossmo1;

Find Kurtis on the web or on Twitter at @kurtisjwiebe;

Find Dan on the web or on Twitter at @parentdaniel.

This week marks a Podcast! The Comics first: a guest actually requesting to come back for another chat on the podcast.  Sam Humphries, the writer of Sacrifice, Our Love Is Real, John Carter: The Gods of Mars, Fanboys Vs. Zombies and next week's Ultimates #10 and Higher Earth #1, stopped by the podcast for another talk.  This time, the boys ask Sam about his multitude of new projects, releasing Higher Earth through Boom!, following Jonathan Hickman, The Replacements and the most polarizing of all subjects: HBO's television show Girls.

Find Sam at:

Twitter: @samhumphries

Web: SAM HUMPHRIES DOT COM

Find out where to buy Sacrifice at AZTECS FOREVER, and remember to buy Higher Earths #1 next week!  IT IS ONLY A DOLLAR.

This week, the boys sit down for a long conversation with one of their very favourite people in the world, writer Kelly Sue DeConnick.  What, for reasons unimaginable, starts off as a discussion of Tumblr and James' field of work eventually turns to Kelly Sue's upcoming projects: the new Captain Marvel series, Ghost and the latest Castle graphic novel, Richard Castle's Storm Season, as well as KISS, the nature of art, self-doubt and how making the world a better place requires owning up to your fears and having hard discussions about difficult topics.  It's a freewheeling, varied conversation that goes from giggling fits to remarkably serious topics, and is all the better for it.

Remember to talk to your comic book shop about pre-ordering Kelly Sue's new books and also to check out Rappers Doing Normal Shit.  Finally, thanks again to Kelly Sue for being so generous with her time and her kind words.

Find Kelly Sue at KellySue.com, on Tumblr or on Twitter at @KellySue.

This week, the boys chat with writer/comedian Matt D. Wilson, co-host of the War Rocket Ajax podcast and writer of the webcomic Copernicus Jones and the upcoming book The Supervillain Handbook: The Ultimate How-To Guide to Destruction and Mayhem.  After a discussion of Shia LaBoeuf's totally insane self-published comics, they shift their discussion to recent comics and Matt's own products, including when he'll do more barbecue reviews.

After buying it during our conversation, James can totally recommend Matt's book, The Supervillain Handbook, and perhaps even buying it twice.  Actually, scratch that: you should absolutely buy it twice. [Ed Note: May cause destitution.]  It will be physically released in one week on April 25th, but you can pre-order it now or buy the Kindle version, which is already available.

Listen to new episodes of War Rocket Ajax every Monday on their site or at ComicsAlliance

Read new Copernicus Jones comics every Thursday (and sometimes Tuesday)

Read Matt's Tumblr

Find Matt on Twitter at @highmindedmw, or at his joke accounts @fakeeetiquette & @kingoblivionphd

King Oblivion, PhD, the credited author of The Supervillain Handbook, can also be found at The International Society of Supervillains

This week, the boys celebrate the holiest of days - the premiere of a new James Van Der Beek television series!  In P!TC's first episode of Van Der Talk, the boys run through why Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 is something you should check out.  Of course, as he always does when the talk turns to TV, James talks about Cougar Town and why a current story development is an example of Bill Lawrence's brand of refined, adult storytelling.  Of course, the boys also talk about comics they liked recently - with a few diversions - and the issue of cynicism in comics publishers.

This week, the boys have a conversation that's freewheeling even by their standards, including Game of Thrones and how "NBC's Thursday Night" is the new ratings metric of choice, The Hunger Games, Erik von Detten, the 17 names James came up with for his and Brandon's Boy Meets World cover band, the "Fake Geek Girls" issue and "Reborn" baby dolls. Because this is theoretically a comics podcast, the boys also talk about comics they enjoyed recently, including Casanova: Avaritia #3 and a sincere thanks to Team Casanova for everything they do.

The music at the end of this episode is Hey Ocean's cover of "Be My [Ed. Note: Presumably Fake] Baby", from their 2011 EP Big Blue Wave.  The music is copyright of Hey Ocean, under exclusive license to Universal Music Canada, Inc.  More importantly, lead singer Ashleigh Ball is the voice of James' favourite My Little Ponies, Applejack and Rainbow Dash.  Give them your money!

This week, the boys recover from a couple of long, guest-filled episodes with a little bit of audio relaxation.  After discussing television series, movies and comics they've enjoyed recently - including Game of Thrones, Amazing Spider-Man and the John Carter movie and comics - the boys dig into a conversation about Mark Waid's recent digital comics announcement and its fallout.

This week, the boys talk to writer Kelly Thompson!  Kelly is an author, columnist and critic, and she also has the same go-to "crying" movies that James does!  Over the course of the episode, the boys talk to her about her story in Womanthology, the comic she's currently working on and why her first novel was too violent for the young adult literature market.  Kelly also owns up to her shameful nature as someone who doesn't love Everwood or Treat Williams, and the group discusses the problems the comic industry has in diversifying to non-core demographics.

You know, fun stuff.

Read Kelly's column, She Has No Head!, at ComicBookResources, where you can also read her reviews throughout the week

Read Kelly's latest  other column over at LitReactor

Check out Kelly's personal blog, 1979 Semi-Finalist

Listen to Kelly's podcast, 3 Chicks Review Comics

Finally, check her out on Twitter at @79semifinalist

This week, the boys welcome their great friend and one of their favourite people on the internet, Andrea Speed, to the show.  Andy is not only the writer of such great crime-noir novels like the Infected series (from Dreamspinner Press) and the upcoming Josh of the Damned (from Riptide Publishing), but she's also the Editor-in-Chief of cxPulp, the comics and pop culture site where the boys wrote (and, in Brandon's case, edited) before creating Comics! The Blog.  What starts off as a Canadian Intervention quickly devolves into a freewheeling discussion of writing, horrifying sexual content on the internet and lapjacking, the new craze that's sweeping the seated legs of the nation.

Warning: not only is this the longest episode of P!TC to date, but it's also absolutely the filthiest and most potentially offensive to date.  If you've got a delicate sensibility or stomach, you might want to skip this episode.

Find Andrea online at AndreaSpeed.com or on twitter at @aspeed!

This week, the boys talk about the menace facing the nation: Kevin Keller!  That's right, the dashing teenage journalist and class president who just wants to fight for his country like his dad did and grows up to do exactly that is a threat to children everywhere because they might learn from his clean-cut, America-loving, military example!  Don't worry about stringing along two best friends in a decades-long love triangle, though!  One Million Moms is totally cool with that.

That's just one small part of the episode, though!  Along the way, the boys talk about comics they've been loving recently and try to watch WWE Raw like the heroes at War Rocket Ajax.  Spoiler alert: not enough smooches.

In our second consecutive week without bees (we're as disappointed as you are), the boys cover a wide variety of subjects.  First, they wax philosophical about how perceived trends in the Big Two comic publishers may have resulted in what looks to be a MASSIVE year from Image Comics and for creator-owned comics.  Later, the boys segue into conversations about creator rights, Tumblr art theft and Gary Friedrich's recent problems.  

But first, what you've REALLY been asking for: James explains Mass Effect 2 to Brandon!  You're welcome, Internet.

In this sadly bee-less episode, the boys regroup after James made Brandon watch an episode of Kevin Smith's Comic Book Men with him and talk about the show's problems.  From its gender relations problems to its representation of comics retail, the boys discuss whether, as the most culturally salient example of comic book shops & fans, the show is actually harmful to the industry.

Don't worry, though!  They still insult each other and talk about comics they liked.  

In this episode, the boys talk with writer and editor (until recently at Marvel) Alejandro Arbona!  You may recognize Alejandro from the books he's edited recently, including Sacrifice, Casanova, Osborn: Evil Incarcerated and Red Skull: Incarnate.  Sacrifice #3 is even out today!  How about that?

We talk to Alejandro about the art of editing, his government-sponsored writing sabbatical, how the Eleventh Doctor stole his style and, much more importantly, BEES!  James and Alejandro both love bees, which means this is a special BEE TALK episode!  Learn while you listen, even if it's just about the reality TV show we're pitching.

Find Alejandro on Twitter at: @alejandrobot

Find out where to buy Sacrifice at AZTECS FOREVER and remember that Casanova: Avaritia #3 comes out in March! Pre-order it with the code  5960607229-00311 or have your shop do it!  Pre-order it online!

In this episode, the boys talk to acclaimed writer Sam Humphries (Our Love is Real, Sacrifice,  Fraggle Rock, CBGB: The Comic and the upcoming John Carter: The God of Mars) about comics, self-publishing and System D, MySpace Comics and how life with him "would become a depressing mix of explosions and chemical spills and wolves."

I believe this is known in "The Biz" as a hard sell.

Find Sam at:

Twitter: @samhumphries

Web: SAM HUMPHRIES DOT COM,

Find out where to buy Sacrifice at AZTECS FOREVER

This week, the boys welcome their first guests on the show, Erin Fraser and Matt Bowes from Graphic Content, a comic book film series in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada!  Plied with liquor and mini cupcakes, the freewheeling conversation starts with an introduction to Graphic Content and spirals from there. Along the way, they announce that the next Graphic Content screening will be Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, co-presented by Comics! The Blog!

On February 14th, show up at the Metro Cinema at the Garneau Theatre (8712 109th Street, Edmonton, AB) at 9pm for some drinks, prizes, schmoozing and comic talk!  At 9:30pm, we'll introduce the movie on-stage and settle down for an evening of fun!  Check out the Comics! The Blog and Graphic Content websites for more detail.

Find Erin at:

Twitter: @erinefraser

Web: Sequential Tart

Find Matt at:

Twitter: @matt_bowes

Web: This Nerding Life

As always check us out on our website and on Twitter at @blogaboutcomics, @leask & @soupytoasterson!

This week, Brandon tells a story about being the best man at a wedding after meeting the groom the same day and James comes to the realization that his "type" is "less traditionally feminine lesbian," which is probably unrelated to watching 32 episodes of Cougar Town in 48 hours.  In terms of comics they liked, it's a Spider Week for the boys, who wrap things up with a discussion of continuity and the silliness of caring too much about it.

Plus, James messes up and adds a "Paul" to Kano's name again, because apparently he's combined him with the actor from There Will Be Blood, Paul Dano.  He awaits your jeers.

This week, the boys took a different approach to podcasting and recorded in the same room as each other on the same microphone, all in the name of a night of alcohol, pulled pork and the Golden Globes.  After running through the things they've been enjoying recently and James making several mistakes with names, they settled down to discussions about illegal downloading and the risks of Kickstarter.

To clarify James' mistakes:

• Tom DeFalco did not draw Spider-Girl, as Brandon points out
• Emma Rios did not write Amazing Spider-Man #687, which James should know because he got it right all the other times in the surrounding sentences.
• Paul Kano does not exist; the artist of Daredevil #8 is just named Kano.

Tune in next week, when James won't be an idiot and have to list all of his stupid errors in the episode description when doing the editing!

In this week's episode, the boys talk about controversial or unpopular opinions about pop culture that they have, from Indiana Jones to Harry Potter.  Plus, James tries not to end up on any watch lists.

In the first episode of Podcast! The Comics, the boys look back at what they liked best in 2011 and ruin any chance they ever had of running for public office.