What and Why Comics

Garrett Klinkerman & Kadley Harmon
  • 5.0 (1)
  • SCIENCE FICTION
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

What and Why Comics talks about mainstream and niche comics from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Shonen Jump from over the course of an 8 week serial, posted biweekly. In each episode, Garrett “the What” Klinkerman will explain what the comic is, what happens in it, what worked, and what didn’t, and Kadley “the Why” Harmon will explain why the comic exists, the historical context behind it, and some of the writing choices that went on behind the panels.

Episodes

  1. 05/02/2022

    Requiem: A Silver Surfer Season Finale

    Silver Surfer is a philosophical staple of the Marvel franchise, and his death in Silver Surfer: Requiem is iconic with its status as a think-piece, amazing art, and the content itself. In this extra long episode, Garrett 'The What' Klinkerman and Kadley 'The Why' Harmon analyze what makes this four issue run tick. It's been an honor making content for you all, and we hope to return next fall semester! Sources Silver Surfer https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Surfer Silver Surfer: Requiem https://books.google.com/books/about/Silver_Surfer.html?id=jP_aPAAACAAJ&source=kp_book_description Overview of Silver Surfer: Requiem https://youtu.be/ysrWEX8tJBk Stan Lee on Silver Surfer https://youtu.be/uSiyxvlv_-g Doctor Who Quote https://youtu.be/jE6lIB87VAc Philosophy of Superman https://youtu.be/8JNPcGI6nFI Free Will vs Determinism https://youtu.be/vCGtkDzELAI Essentialism vs Existentialism https://youtu.be/YaDvRdLMkHs Perspectives of Death https://youtu.be/mjQwedC1WzI Categorical Imperatives https://youtu.be/8bIys6JoEDw What is Justice? https://youtu.be/H0CTHVCkm90 What is a Good Life? https://youtu.be/Ra1Dmz-5HjU

    26 min
  2. DBZ: Men Screaming Over 9000 ft. Jonathan Ozment

    04/25/2022

    DBZ: Men Screaming Over 9000 ft. Jonathan Ozment

    Dragon Ball Z is an iconic franchise and one of the first anime/manga that most of the western audience consumes. Join Garrett "The What" Klinkerman, Kadley "The Why" Harmon, and special guest Jonathan Ozment as they discuss the story and impact of this long running franchise. Sources DBZ Wiki https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_(franchise) Shonen Anime/Manga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dnen_manga Entire Story of Dragonball https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7G8FIvVoj4 DBZ Power lvl timelapse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hw_DWt7uAw Villains Ranked https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Fv7Oe3oEg Power Creep https://youtu.be/Bxszx60ZwGw Paragons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm_Pi6OpNKU&list=PLDb22nlVXGgcljcdyDk80bBDXGyeZjZ5e&index=8 Reformed Villains https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs2TkXBYT9A&list=PLDb22nlVXGgcljcdyDk80bBDXGyeZjZ5e&index=12 Tournament Arcs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRoQJ2A4wK0&list=PLDb22nlVXGgcljcdyDk80bBDXGyeZjZ5e&index=30 So Random Sketch https://youtu.be/XgZpKQCF7Gw Super Sonic https://characters.fandom.com/wiki/Super_Sonic#:~:text=Super%20Sonic%20%E3%82%B9%E3%83%BC%E3%83%91%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BD%E3%83%8B%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%20S%C5%ABp%C4%81,is%20faster%2C%20and%20is%20invincible.

    25 min
  3. Biopunk: When Star Wars Gets Weird

    04/18/2022

    Biopunk: When Star Wars Gets Weird

    Love them or hate them, the Yuuzhan Vong have had a lasting impact on the Star Wars franchise. In this episode, Garrett "The What" Klinkerman summarizes the entire Star Wars Invasion comics run while Kadley "The Why" Harmon discusses the history and politics of the Yuuzhan Vong while also diving into the weirdness that is the biopunk genre. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did! Sources Invasion description and reading list https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Invasion Why the series ended https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Legacy New Jedi Order https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_New_Jedi_Order Yuuzhan Vong https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Yuuzhan_Vong First appearance https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Crimson_Empire_II:_Council_of_Blood Essential Guide to Warfare https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zyk2eghkL2OWgR4vq6tSLBvBRondbnHv/view Canderous dialogue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC444KQsLSE Maul vs Vong https://youtu.be/vE5d9Yn-P_c Legacy (3:00) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33JPoOIZFJk EaW mod https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJYK8B7R1Js BF2 mod https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD6Ph_o91Ic Buzz Lightyear biopunk episodes https://m.wcostream.com/buzz-lightyear-of-star-command-season-1-episode-28-dirty-work https://m.wcostream.com/buzz-lightyear-of-star-command-season-1-episode-7-little-secrets Leviathan series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_(Westerfeld_novel) G.I. Joe (1987) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuz07x3s_zw Halo and 9/11 https://www.e-ir.info/2010/05/18/911-the-war-on-terror-and-halo/ Holy Terror https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Terror_(graphic_novel) Star Wars Miniatures Database https://www.rebelscum.com/swminis.asp NJO RPG Sourcebook https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eDFR9uZy7caHI9aX26wNlO_c4aYn9TCw/view Star Wars RPG Core Rule Book https://dokumen.tips/documents/star-wars-d20-revised-core-rulebook-5590a4e7399ed.html

    22 min
  4. The Obligatory Zombie Episode

    04/11/2022

    The Obligatory Zombie Episode

    You can't escape it no matter how hard you try. It seems like every series has an obligatory zombie episode, and What and Why Comics is no exception! Join the horde this episode as Garrett "The What" Klinkerman talks about the Blackest Night comic run from DC and Kadley "The Why" Harmon discusses the history and notable appearances of the monsters we know and tolerate. DCeased https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKumAIh-GP4  Blackest Night https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKFCQ-rqkUU  Marvel Zombies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PkR7A7PvIk  Zombie Definition and origin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie I am Legend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Legend_(novel)  I am Legend pdf https://mahoneyenglish.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/8/7/12871804/i-am-legend.pdf  Batman (1949) https://youtu.be/SQZjI1xEHAM  The Last Man on Earth (1964) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feQIhzNpBLQ&t=1227s  Night of the Living Dead (1968) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXFuvmfuVgY  Walking Dead (AMC series) (2010-Present) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(TV_series)  Walking Dead Comics (2004-2019) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(comic_book)  Zombie Haiku https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2477840-zombie-haiku-good-poetry-for-your-brains  World War Z https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Z  Call of Duty World at War (2009) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_of_Duty:_World_at_War:_Zombies  Plants vs Zombies (2009) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plants_vs._Zombies  Dead of Winter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG-iUxJcoXc  Zombie Dice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8bi6_vAamI

    19 min
  5. Marvel: Not-so-Civil War

    04/03/2022

    Marvel: Not-so-Civil War

    The Marvel Civil War is an iconic storyline that had far-reaching consequences in-universe and has been adapted into almost every form of media. In this episode, Garret "the What" Klinkerman examines and reviews the story while Kadley "the Why" Harmon delves into the historical context and whether or not this comic run has aged well. We hope you enjoy this episode! Suicide Helplines for various nations https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/11181469 We Didn’t Blow Up Stamford full lyrics https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QC30O14MtVBdLN_487TPV8Xw1vV_wqNb3eZEMY2hlLw/edit?usp=sharing  Ultimate Alliance 2 Cutscenes (skip to 7:55 to see comic parallels) https://youtu.be/bJqQ_iI5VEY  Marvel: Civil War Summary https://youtu.be/Ed8UZprDgkw  Reading List and Other Helpful Information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_War_(comics)#Plot  Thunderbolts (Secret Invasion and Dark Reign) https://www.marvel.com/comics/collection/17682/thunderbolts_by_warren_ellis_vol_1_faith_in_monsters_trade_paperback  One More Day https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_One_More_Day  Heroclix https://wizkids.com/heroclix/marvel-heroclix-civil-war-storyline-organized-play-series/  Stuart Moore's novelization  https://sciencefiction.com/2018/06/26/book-review-civil-war-stuart-moore/ The Male Gaze https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-male-gaze-5118422  9/11 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks  Patriot Act https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act  War on Terror https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_terror  Marvel: Civil War Political Themes https://www.vox.com/2016/5/3/11531348/marvel-civil-war-explained

    20 min
  6. Equivalent Exchange

    03/28/2022

    Equivalent Exchange

    FullMetal Alchemist is one of the most famous mangas of all time, and it's so good that it prompted two anime adaptations! In this episode, Garrett "the What" Klinkerman explains the series, and Kadley "the Why" Harmon delves into the historical context behind alchemy and the setting. We hope you enjoy that this episode isn't as short as Edward Elric! Sources FMA (hot links on this site were also used) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fullmetal_Alchemist Alchemy https://youtu.be/gxiLuz9kHi0 Ainu Genocide https://historyroundtablepodcast.medium.com/the-tragedy-of-the-ainu-44f840e37f48 Industrial Revolution  https://youtu.be/zhL5DCizj5c https://youtu.be/xLhNP0qp38Q https://youtu.be/zjK7PWmRRyg Lost Generation https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Generation  Link to art source for our podcast artwork https://www.redbubble.com/shop/fusion+fullmetal+alchemist+t-shirts All music and sound effects were found on Soundstripe!

    17 min
  7. Star Wars: Legends Never Die

    03/21/2022

    Star Wars: Legends Never Die

    Star Wars is one of the largest franchises out there, but did you know that Dark Horse Comics was writing Star Wars comics before Disney bought the franchise out? In this episode, Garrett 'the What' Klinkerman and Kadley 'the Why' Harmon delve into Star Wars Legends continuity with the Vector Crossover event. Join us as we explore some stories that could have been Sources Vector https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Vector KotOR  https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Knights_of_the_Old_Republic_(comic_series)#The_Jedi_Covenant Zayne Carrick https://youtube.com/shorts/8pSEltKGnz4?feature=share Mandalorian Wars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV34yqDNOqE  Dark Times https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Dark_Times Vader as an Imperial Hero https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HYm_YKXoes Vader vs Celeste Morne https://youtube.com/shorts/6IX4LPaTB3A?feature=share Rebellion https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Rebellion_(comic_series) Luke vs Celeste Morne https://youtube.com/shorts/rgtlCkhb_t4?feature=share Legacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_Legacy Imperial Knights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ4-dqSee7c  Cade Skywalker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPTBXjO7tGU Darth Krayt https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Darth_Krayt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33JPoOIZFJk Lord Nyax https://images.app.goo.gl/ewJ6z6Vp4iF6hPoZA Quinlan Vos https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Quinlan_Vos

    17 min
  8. New 52 Repeated Redos ft Joshua Barker

    03/07/2022

    New 52 Repeated Redos ft Joshua Barker

    The New 52 is a comics era from the DC multiverse is a comic run that served to reboot their continuity in order to make it easier for new fans to get started. It did not in this episode Garrett "the What" Klinkerman and Kadley "the Why" Harmon are join by Joshua Barker in the temporary role as the Who to discuss the events and characters of the New 52, what went right, what went wrong and how DC ended up in the mess that it's in now. Sources New 52 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_52 https://youtu.be/VlR0u61vawQ (TV-14) What Went Wrong https://www.google.com/amp/s/screenrant.com/dc-comics-new-52-reboot-mistake/amp/ Doomsday Clock https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomsday_Clock_(comics) Understanding the DC Multiverse https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse_(DC_Comics) https://youtu.be/c_DcZlUUcOI (includes profanity but it is the best explanation that could be found) Trunks (There's context, I promise) https://youtu.be/pOhQlqrp2oM

    18 min

  9. 02/28/2022

    Spider-Man Can, but Should He?

    Spider-Man is a household name thanks to his movies, but his comics have been regarded as some of the best and some of the worst ever written. In this episode, Garrett “the What” Klinkerman and Kadley “the Why” Harmon discuss Marvel's Spiderverse event while also comparing its success to the failures of the Clone Saga and One More Day.  If you're interested in reading this comic run, here's the suggested reading order: https://www.marvel.com/comics/discover/1020/spider-verse-the-complete-event Research Sources: Spiderverse Interview https://www.comicsbeat.com/they-wont-all-get-along-dan-slott-and-nick-lowe-on-spider-verse-press-call/ Why the Spider-Man Clone Saga Failed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUJRJNRqfh4 Join us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/whatandwhycomic/

    18 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

What and Why Comics talks about mainstream and niche comics from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Shonen Jump from over the course of an 8 week serial, posted biweekly. In each episode, Garrett “the What” Klinkerman will explain what the comic is, what happens in it, what worked, and what didn’t, and Kadley “the Why” Harmon will explain why the comic exists, the historical context behind it, and some of the writing choices that went on behind the panels.

Information

  • Creator
    Garrett Klinkerman & Kadley Harmon
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Garrett Klinkerman & Kadley Harmon
  • Show Website
    What and Why Comics