Sidebar Forever Hosted by Dwight, Swain & Adrian

When it comes to creativity, inspiration is often taken from the works of others. But where do we draw the line between influence and outright copying? Join us on this thought-provoking episode as we ponder the age-old debate: When do imitation and homage become stealing? From comic book artists like Todd McFarlane and Rob Liefeld, to filmmakers such as Brian De Palma and Quentin Tarantino, to musicians like Beyoncé and Pharrell, our conversation navigates the gray areas where creativity intersects with ethics. Was Picasso right when he said, "Good artists copy. Great artists steal?" Is imitation truly the sincerest form of flattery, or does it cross the boundaries of artistic integrity?

In the third installment of our ‘5 Comics That Explain’ series, we G-ride to the 1990s.
The conversation includes Spawn #1 and the meteoric rise of Image Comics, the death (and inevitable return) of Superman in issue #75 and the ‘Bad Girl’ craze led by scantily-clad characters such as Lady Death and Shi.
We also cover the landmark mini-series DC’s ‘Kingdom Come’ with the sterling art of Alex Ross; as well as give the nod to Neil Gaiman’s ‘Sandman’ and becoming the bedrock of DC’s late imprint, Vertigo.
Lastly, we give honorable mention to the 8 million selling ‘X-Men’ #1 by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee, the reality-bending ‘Maxx’ by Sam Kieth and the breath of diversity from Milestone Comics.
 
As always, thanks for listening.

On this episode, Dwight and Adrian review WRESTLEMANIA XL! As longtime wrestling fans, we totally ‘mark’ out on the Grandest Stage of Them All!
Titles change!
Heroes and villains return!
And will Cody Rhodes survive the onslaught of the Universal Champion Roman Reigns, The Rock and the combined might of the Bloodline faction?

Be it aliens, clones, or dystopian futures, we love us some science fiction. On today's podcast, we take inspiration from movieweb.com by compiling a list of nine underrated sci-fi movies. Terrific films like The Brother From Another Planet, Soylent Green, The Hidden, Equilibrium, and The Girl with All the Gifts are a few of the overlooked gems that make up our final list. We also ask questions on the pod: Are big budgets critical to the success of good sci-fi movies? Do the themes and concerns in these films often reflect the decades in which they were released? Is sci-fi as a genre better at telling cautionary tales?
Check out the movieweb.com article by Brian Accardo: https://movieweb.com/cult-classic-sci-fi-movies/#beyond-the-black-rainbow

This week, we travel to a galaxy far, far away and ask the question: With all the films, TV shows, animated shows, comics, novels, and video games out there, is there too much Star Wars? Don't get us wrong, of course, we love the Star Wars Universe to pieces. But depending on which adaptation or spinoff you're talkin' about, mileage can vary. The Mandalorian and Andor were well received, but Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, not so much. And no one in fandom seems super excited after seeing The Acolyte trailer. We also discuss other movies that have been adapted for television like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Westworld, The Karate Kid (Cobra Kai), and What We Do in the Shadows. The conversation ends with a Highlander tangent based on the original films, the '90s TV show, and the recently-announced reboot starring Henry Cavill. 

With our second installment in this series, we jump to the 1980s. In the conversation, we discuss massive crossover events such as Crisis and Secret Wars, the rise of X-Men Mania, and the British Invasion in the form of anthologies like Warrior and 2000 AD. We also cover the phenomenon that was and is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as books that led us into the next decade like Alan Moore's run on The Saga of the Swamp Thing.