Gobbledygeek Paul Smith and Arlo J. Wiley

For the first time this season, Paul and Arlo have lost the plot. That’s right, the beloved Gobbledygeek freestyle episode has returned, new and improved for 2024, including such scintillating subjects as: Back pain! Stomach bugs! Car crashes! Country mouse Arlo took a trip to New York City, taking a bite out of the Big Apple for the very first time; Paul is planning a secluded getaway just to listen to the new Taylor Swift album; and, what’s that? The boys are writing again? They’re going to release another book? Yes! Well, maybe! Probably! All that and more on the latest episode of your very most favorite podcast.
 
NEXT: anything is possible.
 
 
MUSIC
“Welcome to New York (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (2022)
“Borrowed Time” by John Lennon, Milk and Honey (1984)
 
 
GOBBLEDYCARES
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 
Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter
Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org
Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ 
National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org
Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/ 
Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://www.unduemedicaldebt.org/ 
Register to vote: https://vote.gov/
 

You’re a better podcaster than us, Michael Holland. That’s right, the City of Angels’ very own boy wonder is back to take Paul and Arlo to film school. The That Was Then classic gracing our screens this time is George Stevens’ 1939 adventure film Gunga Din, starring Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. The gang discusses the film’s connection to William Goldman, the subject of the first season of Michael’s podcast From Out of the Past; why it represents a milestone in action-adventure cinema; its surprising, or refreshing, lack of plot; and why Paul and Arlo had such a hard time watching this 85-year-old film for the very first time.
 
NEXT: much like Schwarzenegger, we’ll be back.
 
 
BREAKDOWN
00:00:42  -  Intro / Guest
00:10:23  -  Gunga Din
01:16:05  -  Outro / Next
 
LINKS
From Out of the Past Podcast
Holland_Imaginarium
 
MUSIC
“The Ballad of Gunga Din” by Jim Croce, Facets (1966)
“You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” by Bob Dylan and the Band, Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II (1971)



GOBBLEDYCARES
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 
Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter
Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org
Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ 
National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org
Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/ 
Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
Register to vote: https://vote.gov/
 

Around and around we go, where we’ll stop–only Arlo knows! For this month’s Four-Color Flashback, Gobbledygeek’s enfant terrible has chosen Junji Ito’s 1998-99 horror manga Uzumaki. Will Paul ever forgive him? On hand to find out is The Deli Counter of Justice co-conspirator Eric Sipple, who will be appearing on FCF episodes for infinity. The gang discusses Ito’s beautifully grotesque imagery, the book’s at times confounding narrative, their (in)experience with the manga form, and snails. Plus, Arlo has been dabbling in other East Asian art with more Godzilla movies and Edward Yang’s Taiwanese masterpiece Yi Yi; and Paul cannot hold back his rage when it comes to X-Men ‘97.
 
NEXT: where you been, Gunga Din? Hollywood’s own Michael Holland joins us to discuss George Stevens’ 1939 classic.
 
 
BREAKDOWN
00:00:49  -  Intro / Godzilla banter
00:14:23  -  X-Men ‘97 rage!
00:28:33  -  Uzumaki
01:49:54  -  Outro / Next
 
MUSIC
“Spiraling Shape” by They Might Be Giants, Factory Showroom (1996)
“Snails Pace” by Bob Brown, Snails Pace (2022)
 
GOBBLEDYCARES
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 
Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter
Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org
Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ 
National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org
Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/ 
Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
Register to vote: https://vote.gov/
 

Oh, what a tangled web we Weavers! For this month’s Four-Color Flashback, Paul and Arlo trap Eric Sipple in their web once more, this time to discuss Simon Spurrier & Dylan Burnett’s Lovecraftian mob story Weavers. Despite being big fans of Spurrier’s (author of past FCF favorites Six-Gun Gorilla and The Spire), Paul and Arlo aren't quite sure what to make of this one, while Eric has some thoughts on why the book is an interesting failure. One thing they can all agree on is Burnett’s vibrant, stylish art–and how it elevates everything else on the page.
 
NEXT: Paul and Arlo will return.
 
 
MUSIC
“Itsy Bitsy Spider” by Itsy Bitsy Spider (2015)
“Boris the Spider” by The Who, A Quick One (1966)
 
 
GOBBLEDYCARES
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 
Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter
Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org
Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ 
National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org
Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/ 
Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
Register to vote: https://vote.gov/
 

As they say, don’t drink and podcast, but here Paul and Arlo are talking about 2004’s Sideways for another round of That Was Then. Alexander Payne’s acclaimed dramedy follows alcoholic wine connoisseur Miles as he takes his bonehead best buddy Jack on a road trip through Santa Barbara the week before Jack’s due to get hitched. It is the Fox Searchlight movie, and the boys discuss what that means, how the performances bring forth certain emotional notes in the script’s body, and why somebody could come away from a first viewing not understanding 20 years’ worth of hype. Plus, Arlo goes into uncomfortable detail about his middle school career.
 
NEXT: enough old movies, let’s talk old(-ish) comics! This month’s Four-Color Flashback sees Eric Sipple joining Paul and Arlo for Si Spurrier and Dylan Burnett’s Weavers.
 
 
BREAKDOWN
00:00:45  -  Intro / Guest
00:29:46  -  Main Topic
01:35:36  -  Outro / Next
 
 
MUSIC
“Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” by Billy Joel, The Stranger (1977)
“A Case of You” by Joni Mitchell, Blue (1971)
 
 
GOBBLEDYCARES
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 
Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter
Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org
Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ 
National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org
Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/ 
Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
Register to vote: https://vote.gov/
 

We’re speeding away at breakneck speed with another installment of our That Was Then series. This time Paul and Arlo are witnesses to The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, a 1974 subway heist thriller that is exactly what it says on the tin. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! But our boys do struggle to find much to say, choosing to highlight David Shire’s jazz-funk score and Owen Roizman’s gritty cinematography while mostly being puzzled by the script’s wasted potential. It’s a fun Noo Yawk movie, and that’s okay, folks!
 
NEXT: NO F*****G MERLOT! That’s right, it’s another That Was Then, this time focusing on Alexander Payne’s 2004 buddy dramedy Sideways.
 
 
BREAKDOWN
00:00:30  -  Intro / The Year That Was 1974
00:21:38  -  The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
01:20:30  -  Outro / Next
 
 
MUSIC
“Sure Shot” by Beastie Boys, Ill Communication (1994)
“Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne, Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
 
 
GOBBLEDYCARES
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 
Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter
Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org
Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ 
National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org
Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/ 
Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
Register to vote: https://vote.gov/