Chris And Reggie's Cosmic Treadmill

Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) take a trip through comicdom's murky, finger-stained past to read Boris the Bear #1 from 1986! They'll describe every gory detail of the book, then attempt to put the comic in context by detailing the post-TMNT black & white comic book explosion! All that and a few creator bios. Turn off your Care Bear stare while listening to this episode! Requested by Joe Crawford - http://flairjoe.tumblr.com/ weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com www.chrisisoninfiniteearths.com BREAK AUDIO: The Bootleg Universe Pitch Show: Nimrod Antal's Boris the Bear (excerpt) https://youtu.be/2iLPSQM4T5A TAGS: comics, history, Boris the Bear, Dark Horse Comics, Mike Richardson, James Dean Smith, Randy Stradley, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rambo, Ewoks, Usagi Yojimbo, black & white comics, comic book speculation, 1980s

This week, Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) do their best to save humanity from the coming robot war when they read RoboCop vs. The Terminator #1, published by Dark Horse Comics in 1992! First, they'll provide some background information on creators Frank Miller and Walter Simonson, then they talk about the two science-fiction films that justified this crossover. After reading the comic book, our time-addled duo look at the rest of this miniseries, as well as the many films, television shows, video games and further comics spawned by each robot-themed franchise. You have all the time you'd like to take TO COMPLY! Thanks to Ryan Douglas for the pick! columbuscomicscorner.podbean.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com facebook.com/cosmictmillhistory @cosmictmill chrisisoninfiniteearths.com BREAK: Epic Rap Battles of History - Robocop vs. The Terminator

By special request of Toby Hagen from 42shadesofgeek.co.uk, Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) read Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #106 cover dated November, 1970, a story titled "I Am Curious (Black)!" In the comic book, Lois Lane turns African-American for 24 hours, and in the podcast, Chris and Reggie fumble through the issue and a partial history of black representation in comics. It's unclear as to which one is more cringe-worthy!   weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com @reggiereggie @AceComics chrisisoninfiniteearths.blogspot.com TAGS: Lois Lane, Superman's Girl Friend, I Am Curious (Black), African-Americans in comics, Robert Kanigher, Vince Colletta, Werner Roth, DC Comics, history, comics history, Black Like Me, civil rights, 1960s

This week, Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) read the first issue of that team of teens with 'tude, The New Warriors from 1990, written by Fabian Nicieza and drawn by Mark Bagley! After the usual biographies, they go through every page of the issue, then continue the story with rough breakdowns of all five volumes with the same title. Then, after completing the creators' bios, the guys talk a little about the direct market and rampant comic books speculation prevalent when The New Warriors #1 was released. Plus: listener mail! You won't want to miss this episode, which should be immediately bagged and boarded with a minimum of handling. This issue picked by Wayne Boothe weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com facebook.com/cosmictmillhistory @cosmictmill chrisisoninfiniteearths.com

It's a mind-bending episode as Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) read through issue 226 of Spectacular Spider-Man and try to untangle the mysteries of Spider-Man's Clone Saga! After some creator bios and back story, they do their best to detail the events of the Clone Saga and the drama behind the scenes that nearly spun it out of control. Plus: Spidercide, for no particular reason! You'll want to have your Carrion Virus to hand for this one.   weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com   BREAK: Snippet from Superior Spider Talk #10: Amazing Friends w/ Tom DeFalco http://amazingspidertalk.com/   RESOURCES: lifeofreillyarchives.blogspot.com superiorspidertalk.com TAGS: comic books, comics, history, Spider-Man, Clone Saga, Tom DeFalco, Ben Reilly, Scarlet Spider, Bob Budiansky, Bob Harras, Kaine, Marvel Comics, 1990s, comics speculation

Happy 25th Birthday Youngblood (and Image Comics)! In this episode, Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) dip into the best example of the comic book industry's EXTREME! period and read Youngblood #1 by Rob Liefeld! Both stories in this flip book get dissected, examined and voiced by the diligent Cosmic Treadmill team, even the parts that they didn't understand. They also detail the life and times of Rob Liefeld, and provide a complete history of the Youngblood property, from its first secret sighting that precedes this issue, all the way up until...today! It's gonna be a teeth-gritting, air-squatting trip back to those aggressive 1990s.   weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com   www.chrisisoninfiniteearths.com   BREAK CLIP: 501 Jeans commercial featuring Rob Liefeld, directed by Spike Lee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJhoa2SVGNA TAGS: comics, comic book history. Youngblood #1, Rob Liefeld, Image Comics, Extreme Comics, Hank Kanalz, Dan Fraga, 1990s, comic book speculation, Marvel, New Mutants, Dead

In this very special episode of the Cosmic Treadmill, Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) read through 1983's The Keebler Company Presents DC Comics’ the New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez! After some in-depth creator bios, our sober duo examine the first, second and third New Teen Titans comic books created specifically for 1980s anti-drug programs. Later, they look at the history of drug abuse prevention in America and explore the secret origin of First Lady Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign. After detailing the Peculiar Tale of the Protector, Chris and Reggie talk about some other comic book PSAs about a variety of uncomfortable topics! Tune in and get high...on podcasts! weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com facebook.com/cosmictmillhistory @comsictmill chrisisoninfiniteearths.com BREAK AUDIO: DC Comics' Marketing Video for Anti-Drug Campaign Licensing Check out Chris' reviews for all three New Teen Titans' PSAs! http://tinyurl.com/m8navgy

In this episode, Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) will teach you how to kill a man with one touch, become the life of any party, and pull six cars for one mile using only your neck! We'll go over some seminal comic book ads and detail the lives of novelty purveyor S.S. Adams and bodybuilder Charles Atlas. Then, a brief discussion about comic book advertising, and why we don't really see it anymore! Have some scissors ready to clip those mail-in coupons! weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com www.chrisisoninfiniteearths.com SOURCES: The Deadliest Ads Alive! A History of Martial Arts Ads in Comic Books by Dan Kelly, 2012, Hogan’s Alley Publishing Life of the Party:A Visual History of the S.S. Adams Company Makers of Pranks & Magic for 100 Years by Kirk Demarais, 2006, S.S. Adams LLC magicmakersinc.com S.S. Adams Co. Charles Atlas: The Man, the Myth and the Muscles by David Baines, 2014 Birch Tree Publishing charlesatlas.com Charles Atlas BREAK: "The Man Who Knew Charles Atlas"; Rich Alcott interview

This week, Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) set their sights on Mike Grell's 1987 revamp of Oliver Queen, Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters Book One! They'll do the usual creator biographies and provide a detailed history of the character Green Arrow. Then they read the entire issue, complete with historical background for the city of Seattle and some other references, and continue on to describe the other two books in this prestige-format series! After the break, the fellas go beyond The Longbow Hunters and follow Green Arrow until today, as well as complete the biographies. And to finish up, Reggie and Chris dissect that most daunting of comic book mysteries: time and continuity! It's a gritty reimagining of the Cosmic Treadmill you won't want to miss! This issue was selected by the folks over at Warlord Worlds warlordworlds.com trekkertalk.com xenozoicxenophiles.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com www.facebook.com/cosmictmillhistory/ @cosmictmill chrisisoninfiniteearths.com SOURCES: DC i

This week, Reggie (@reggiereggie) didn't finish his Weird Comics History script on time, so instead we offer what we call Chris' Podcasting Classix, and present episodes previously recorded as part of the weirdsciencedccomics.com podcast--two of which are of unique personal interest to Chris (@AceComics)! We've got the first appearance of the Teen Titans in Brave and the Bold #54 (1964), then "Who is Donna Troy?" from New Teen Titans #38 (1984), and finally Tales of the Teen Titans Annual #3 (1984) which also includes an overview of the landmark story "The Judas Contract" and some details about the character Tara "Terra" Markov! It's a Titan-riffic episode--and it's longer than most, so bring plenty of snacks before listening to this one!   weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com   chrisisoninfiniteearths.com   BONUS: A collection of Chris' ruminations on "The Judas Contract" on his blog, right here!http://chrisisoninfiniteearths.blogspot.com/p/the-life-and-times-of-terra-markov.html TAGS: Comic books, history, D

In this episode, Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) break outta 'Toon Town and read Animal Man #5 from 1988! First, they provide biographical information about the book's creators, and after the issue they talk about the many lives...and deaths if Animal Man afterwards. To wrap-up, they discuss other comic book characters known to break the fourth wall, including one that literally broke it! You'll feel addressed directly with this episode! weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com facebook.com/cosmictmillhistory/ @cosmictmill chrisisoninfiniteearths.com

It the last stop of Chris (@acecomics) and Reggie's (@reggiereggie) five-part comic book history tour, as seen through the lens of the Comics Code Authority! First, we learn about the fates of our Comics Code triumvirate: Senator Estes Kefauver, Dr. Frederic Wertham, and publisher Bill Gaines. Then we take a quick trip around the world and see how the comics industry has developed in those countries that never imposed the same restrictions on content as America. Now we have come to the conclusion of the CCA, and Chris and Reggie offer their thoughts and opinions on the ramifications of a post-Code world. They look at new public pressures that affect publisher decisions today, and examine some of the sources that drive self-censorship in other entertainment industries today! There's something to piss of everyone in this second half of episode five, you won't want to miss it! weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com  

It's time to cruise through comics history again with Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) and observe the beginnings of the Comics Code Authority, including a reading of the actual Code itself! Then they discuss changes to comic books--and the Code--over its sixty-plus year history. It's a wacky good time of phony legalese and self-censorship that's sure to entertain the whole family! WARNING: Not for children or family. weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com  

Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) get to the meat and cheese of their five-part look at the Comics Code Authority: 1954's Senate Hearings on Juvenile Delinquency, starring Senator Estes Kefauver! They look at increasing anti-comics public sentiment and the exact comic book that served as the tipping point and legitimized federal investigation. Then, they take you through all three days of the hearings, talking about each witness and their testimonies, while interjecting the usual silly commentary.   http://www.thecomicbooks.com/1954senatetranscripts.html Full Transcript of the Senate Subcommittee's Hearings on Juvenile Delinquency   https://youtu.be/jXKKTX1ke90 Senator Estes Kefauver on What's My Line? March 8, 1951   http://cbldf.org/2012/10/the-incredible-true-story-of-joe-shusters-nights-of-horror/ Joe Shuster, Frederic Wertham, and the Brooklyn Thrill Killers   weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com   tags: Estes Kefauver, The Comics Code Authority, Dr. Frederic Wertham, Bill Gaines, anti-comics crusade

Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) continue their discussion about the ideas and events that contributed to the formation of the Comics Code Authority. In this episode, they quote some early anti-comics crusaders, look at comic books after World War II, and talk about Dr. Frederic Wertham's book Seduction of the Innocent and the research behind it.   weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) talk about comic books during World War II, long before the Comics Code Authority came into existence, and detail the early life of Dr. Frederic Wertham, whose name would someday become synonymous with anti-comics crusading.   weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com   Keywords: Comics, Comic Books, Comic History, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, DC Comics, Golden Age, Silver Age, Comics Code, Comic Book History

Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) conclude their month-long tour through Marvel Comics with the Defenders #1 from 1972--the fourth or fifth appearance of the team! They'll describe every moment of the issue and discuss other iterations of the Defenders team, and go through the usual creator biographies--but stay tuned, comics enthusiasts, because the real story is in the writer, Steve Englehart! It's an episode full of laughs and gasps, you won't want to miss it! weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/cosmictmillhistory/ https://twitter.com/cosmictmill weirdsciencedccomics.com chrisisoninfiniteearths.com BREAK AUDIO: ComicVine interviews Steve Englehart at WonderCon 2010  

Join us on another Crisis-inspired jaunt through speedster history when Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) read Flash vol. 2 #0 by Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo! After some biographical details about the creative team, we delve into the issue proper and discover the truth about what inspired Wally West to become the Flash! Then, after some notable quotables from Mr. Waid himself, Chris and Reggie talk about legacy characters in comic books--what they think about them and why publishers never seem to let them stick around! It's a wild romp of an episode that will take you all over the...time! Issue requested by Bryan Trevitt weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com   TAGS: comics, history, dc comics, the Flash, Mark Waid, Mike Wieringo, Zero Hour, A Crisis in Time, Wally West, Kid Flash, 1990s, comic book event

Grab a bowl of poutine and put on your heavy coat when Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) head into woodsy Canada and read the Incredible Hulk #181 from 1974! After some biographical information about creators and industry giants Len Wein and Herb Trimpe, our duo go through every crushing blow and...soul-swapping magic spell of this classic comic book. Then, they provide a detailed background of the sensational character find of 1974, Wolverine! They're the best at what they do, and what they do is...hopefully nice! Enjoy! weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com chrisisoninfiniteearths.com BREAK: Len Wein talks about Wolverine in the PBS documentary Superheroes