Prodigious Saps

Chad Smalley & Brendan Jones
  • 5.0 (2)
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  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Chad Smalley and Brendan Jones (friends for more than 30 years) reflect on movies, TV, music and comics… with a special focus on their shared love of Superman.

  1. APR 21

    Let's talk about BATMAN RETURNS (1992)

    In this episode, we revisit BATMAN RETURNS, one of the strangest major comic-book movies ever made. We talk Tim Burton’s over-the-top visual style, the movie’s tangled plot, Michael Keaton’s sidelined Batman, Michelle Pfeiffer’s unforgettable Catwoman, Danny DeVito’s grotesque Penguin, and Christopher Walken stealing scenes as Max Shreck. Messy, kinky, funny, stylish, and very Burton. Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of @Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla Ciity Stories (@theteslacitystories7337). https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards https://blaggards.com/ SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: https://linktr.ee/slappercast Tesla City Stories https://www.teslacitystories.com Breakfast of the Gods https://www.indyplanet.com/breakfast-of-the-gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters https://meetthemonsters.podbean.com/

    53 min

  2. APR 18

    Daredevil Born Again S2, Wonder Woman casting rumors, and more

    This might be the best DAREDEVIL has ever been on screen! PATREON : https://www.patreon.com/ProdigiousSaps JOIN: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJaU6rw754l-Z0HQ4SB3gwA/join SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@prodigioussaps?sub_confirmation=1 PODCAST: https://prodigioussaps.fireside.fm/ Daredevil: Born Again S2 is REALLY getting good.This might be the best these characters have ever been on screen. ALSO: P-Saps podcast and Patreon updates rumored WONDER WOMAN/MAXIMA casting comic accuracy debates and why casting—and how these characters look—still matters more than people want to admit. Special guest caller: Brendan's older brother ROBIN JONES an update on the possible buckyball-Supergirl escape pod connection Supergirl & Star Wars concept artist Vincent Jenkins STAR WARS: MAUL – SHADOW LORD 00:00:00 — Podcast updates 00:03:25 — WONDER WOMAN/MAXIMA casting rumors 00:19:45 — Brendan's brother Robin calls in 00:27:13 — DAREDEVIL BORN AGAIN 00:51:33 — WEREWOLF BY NIGHT sequel? 00:52:55 — SUPERGIRL/buckyball update 00:57:42 — Vincent Jenkins - Supergirl and Star Wars concept artist 01:01:31 — MAUL - SHADOW LORD Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of @Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla Ciity Stories (@theteslacitystories7337). https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards https://blaggards.com/ SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: https://linktr.ee/slappercast Tesla City Stories https://www.teslacitystories.com Breakfast of the Gods https://www.indyplanet.com/breakfast-of-the-gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters https://meetthemonsters.podbean.com/

    1h 5m

  3. APR 16

    Following up on SUPERMAN (2025) with DC Comic artist CHRISTOPHER JONES

    The podcast is BACK! Today we're talking comics and SUPERMAN with CHRISTOPHER JONES. PATREON : https://www.patreon.com/ProdigiousSaps JOIN: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJaU6rw754l-Z0HQ4SB3gwA/join SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@prodigioussaps?sub_confirmation=1 PODCAST: https://prodigioussaps.fireside.fm/ Our friend DC Comics artist CHRISTOPHER JONES returns for a wide-ranging comic book conversation that starts with the strange logic of superhero storytelling and eventually circles back to one of our favorite recent topics: SUPERMAN (2025). Along the way we get into awkward sidekick tropes, why all-ages comics still matter, and what makes Superman’s moral core so enduring. ALSO: LANTERNS, THE BATMAN PART II, SPIDER-MAN, FANTASTIC FOUR, and the broader challenge of making comic book worlds feel emotionally grounded without sanding off everything that makes them weird. Check out Christopher Jones online: https://blog.christopherjonesart.com/ https://instagram.com/chrisjonesart/ 00:00:00 — Welcome back CHRISTOPHER JONES 00:06:05 — The awkward trope of young sidekicks 00:09:12 — Comic book logic is WEIRD 00:15:59 — Why all-ages comics still matter 00:23:59 — Revisiting SUPERMAN (2025) 00:25:20 — Superman's moral core 00:50:52 — THE BATMAN 2, SPIDER-MAN & FANTASTIC FOUR Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards https://blaggards.com/ SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: https://linktr.ee/slappercast Tesla City Stories https://www.teslacitystories.com Breakfast of the Gods https://www.indyplanet.com/breakfast-of-the-gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters https://meetthemonsters.podbean.com/

    1h 9m

  4. JAN 20

    FULL breakdown of BATMAN v SUPERMAN (Ultimate Edition)

    Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_OESPuVsBqg Three years ago, when we first started doing this show, Brendan admitted that he'd never seen BATMAN v SUPERMAN. Well, our brothers and sisters in nerddom... now he has. Chad requested that we review the Ultimate Edition, because he believes it is a better movie than the theatrical cut... for whatever that's worth. So what do you think of this movie? Good? Bad? Somewhere in-between? Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards https://blaggards.com/ SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: https://linktr.ee/slappercast Tesla City Stories https://www.teslacitystories.com Breakfast of the Gods https://www.indyplanet.com/breakfast-of-the-gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters https://meetthemonsters.podbean.com/

    2h 8m

  5. 12/18/2025

    FULL breakdown of MAN OF STEEL

    By popular demand, we have rewatched Zack Snyder's MAN OF STEEL. And yes, we have notes Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l01ixMUodkw We both have a LOT to say about MAN OF STEEL because we care about the character of Superman so much... and of course, because this film has been such a remarkably divisive force in the fandom AND the industry ever since it came out. What do YOU think? 00:00:00 - Overview 00:16:02 - Breakdown Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards https://blaggards.com/ SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: https://linktr.ee/slappercast Tesla City Stories https://www.teslacitystories.com Breakfast of the Gods https://www.indyplanet.com/breakfast-of-the-gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters https://meetthemonsters.podbean.com/

    2h 20m

  6. 09/13/2025 ·  BONUS

    FULL breakdown of BATMAN (1989)

    Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ohr1sdxvBvw This week, P-Saps dive into Tim Burton’s BATMAN (1989). We revisit the movie’s cultural earthquake—how it reshaped the superhero genre, influenced blockbuster marketing, and gave us a darker Gotham than audiences had ever seen. We unpack Michael Keaton’s unlikely casting and why it works, Jack Nicholson’s show-stealing Joker, Danny Elfman’s now-iconic score, and the film’s role in paving the way for modern superhero epics. Along the way, we share personal memories of first encounters with the movie, highlight its strengths and quirks, and reflect on how Burton’s gothic style still stands apart decades later. Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards https://blaggards.com/ SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: https://linktr.ee/slappercast Tesla City Stories https://www.teslacitystories.com Breakfast of the Gods https://www.indyplanet.com/breakfast-of-the-gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters https://meetthemonsters.podbean.com/

    2h 33m

  7. 08/28/2025

    FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Review

    Here's our review of FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Brendan LOVED it immediately, while Chad had to chew on it for awhile... but we're pretty much in full agreement about this one: it's pretty damn great. SPOILERS ABOUND... so proceed with caution. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1pXIVbAJ80U Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards https://blaggards.com/ SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: https://linktr.ee/slappercast Tesla City Stories https://www.teslacitystories.com Breakfast of the Gods https://www.indyplanet.com/breakfast-of-the-gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters https://meetthemonsters.podbean.com/

    1h 3m

  8. 08/19/2025

    Full breakdown of SUPERMAN RETURNS

    We are currently on a brief hiatus as Chad is on tour with his band, Blaggards... so in the meantime we're putting out this audio-only version of our long-awaited SUPERMAN RETURNS breakdown. The final YouTube edit will likely wind up being somewhat shorter. ENJOY, P-Saps! Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards https://blaggards.com/ SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: https://linktr.ee/slappercast Tesla City Stories https://www.teslacitystories.com Breakfast of the Gods https://www.indyplanet.com/breakfast-of-the-gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters https://meetthemonsters.podbean.com/

    2h 6m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Chad Smalley and Brendan Jones (friends for more than 30 years) reflect on movies, TV, music and comics… with a special focus on their shared love of Superman.

Information

  • Creator
    Chad Smalley & Brendan Jones
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    74
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Prodigious Saps
  • Show Website
    Prodigious Saps

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