Some words of introduction from Decarceration: When I arrived at a certain subscriber milestone, I reached out to the heavens. I made a request. I said, “I would love to do a podcast with someone about superhero films, someone who knows the tech, and who can be a great collaborator, and who doesn’t mind speaking in depth about all of them.” I mean, not in those specific words. I also requested the world’s most perfect cheese plate, and the gods have yet to produce in those regards. This comes from a deep well, regarding my time in prison. In my darkest moments, inside my mind, alone and hopeless, I retreated to a happy place inside my head. I retreated to the movies. But because I was so isolated, so abandoned – these were largely times when I was in solitary without pen or paper – I tried to think of the movies I knew the best. Ultimately, these were superhero films, because they were popular, because the behind-the-scenes stories were so well-known, and because I had read comic books as a child. They were not my favorite movies. But they were movies I knew with exacting precision, and in my head, I could piece them together quite easily. I spent entire days recording DVD commentaries in my head regarding superhero cinema. This peculiar behavior most likely saved my life.And so I have met Skylar Singer. He is a good man, a smart man, a younger man with unique, thoughtful opinions unlike mine. And after a few chats, I could see how this would work, two men from decidedly different backgrounds and perspectives, discussing superhero pictures that have shaped our lives for better or worse. He has not provided that blessed cheese plate but I imagine it’s a matter of time, and I am a patient man. Today, we’re bringing you something special. Today, here, is the first ever episode of “Is It Canon?”In Volume One, we start at the dawn of the MCU. We’re discussing “Iron Man”, a big budget independent film that Marvel cobbled together from reputation and moxie, flying blind under director Jon Favreau to create a movie that would directly influence an entire genre but also begin an elaborate mythology that has lasted dozens of movies and television shows. How did “Iron Man” come about? Who developed it first? What are the film’s politics? What have we only noticed in retrospect? And what exactly is an Iron Monger? Please join us for Episode One: Iron Man, Brought To You By Terrence Howard’s Wet Wipes. This is Sky and D. And we hope you’ll join us on this journey. Subscribe to Acquired Tastes and never miss an episode of Is This Cannon? Get full access to Acquired Tastes at skylarsinger.substack.com/subscribe
