The Greatest Pod

I am usually disappointed before too long in any podcast, but this one is the exception. Ed, Ron, and Producer Bill bring the right combination of thoughtful analysis and having creative fun to really “make a stew.” Followed Ed since his Screen Junkies/Movie Fights days (he deserved at least one win over Dan) and followed into both Reboot It (YouTube) and The Greatest Pod. Their approach to the “greatest” as a plural instead of the singular gives their subjects a breadth that allows their conversations to meander in fun directions while still staying on point. I loved the thoughtful analyses of the Overton Window, Comic Art (history), and the theoretical side of making art in its various forms. However, it is also the pure fun of two comedians and a producer, who is funny in his own right, having fantasy drafts and creative battle royals with comic characters or action heroes (Dutch thinking Apollo is Dillon was great). Perhaps throwback Nerd Goats about man-of-the-people Skeletor or Magneto are the gateway you need. There is variety for everyone and it is pure fun at the end of the day. Come for breakdowns of fandoms, tokusatu, and deep dives into genre, storytelling methods, or character types. Stay for Dusty Rhodes, Night Wing*, and John Peters. In addition, they have a great accompanying Patreon library and YOU SHOULD GO WATCH REBOOT IT ON YOUTUBE (it is amazingly fun and quasi-predictive). “Long story boring…” find your niche, expand from there, and enjoy the ride. I am as happy to see an episode of this drop as I am my favorite tv shows or films.

I followed Ed and Ron here from their hilarious appearances on the Goods from the Woods podcast - I wasn’t too interested in most pop culture and had basically never read a comic book, but those guys rule, so I had nothing to lose. I ended up enjoying this podcast immensely. Fast forward a couple of years to right now and I’m more invested into why movies are great, and I picked up some of my first comics last year (I’ve now read tens of thousands of pages, mostly due to inertia from this pod). Ed, Ron, and Producer Bill are not just analyzing comics, movies, screenplays, writers, artists, ART - they are using those pieces of entertainment media to explore what makes HUMANITY great. They’re pulling apart bits of our culture to shed light on the triumphs, tragedies, complexities, and idiosyncrasies of the human condition. They’re cutting slices of Spawn, Princess Leia, Jack Kirby, PTA - putting them under a microscope, and seeing bits of you, me, and all of us. They are turning their analysis into capital-A Art. It’s all so sharp, witty, confounding, endearing, and occasionally frustrating (that’s a compliment). This podcast is funny on about 20 different levels - the type of deep humor that rewards your intelligence over and over. It’s a beautiful thing. If you’ve somehow found this review and have continued reading until this moment, then you’re absolutely the type of person who would like this podcast. Pick out a few episodes which might interest you - listen. Give them a REAL chance. Your brain will enlarge (not dangerously), you’ll feel more media literate (a weapon in modern USA society), and you’ll emerge a better person (hopefully). This isn’t your 2nd cousin’s surface level comic book podcast (though they would probably like it too - Art is for everyone). Ed, Ron, and Bill are a Cerberus of greatness - they’ve built something quite special with The Greatest Pod. Thanks, y’all, sorry it took me so long to leave a review.

This show is Good enough for Tyler Durden to give a Ninja review in a Furniture Store!

You will never be bored listening to these stories. Long time listener, first time commenter, I love your content, I’m still Charlie Brown moping about the Nerd Goat being inaccessible but these talks are always so insightful. I prefer when all three of you are together ranting and laughing, that when you got a stew, baebaay! Also, if I could get a shout out from Night Whayng, that would be epic! Cheers!