Episode 1732 Talkback - Comic Talk

Adam_Murdough

Ian breaks down the apparent pros and cons of the upcoming Disney+ streaming service; Murd makes his report on a recent academic conference on Batman, held at his grad-school alma mater; everyone voices their gut reactions to the Star Wars: Episode IX trailer; and spoiler-light accolades are bestowed on Spider-Man: Life Story #1, Detective Comics #1000, and the long-awaited third season of the Young Justice cartoon. Plus other bijoux and bonbons. (1:36:05)

Listen here.

nweathington

@Adam_Murdough, in your discussion of the Batman conference’s guest pro speakers, you neglected to mention that @danmishkin has actually shown up in this very forum. Maybe he could add his two cents on the conference?

Adam_Murdough

nweathington said:

@Adam_Murdough, in your discussion of the Batman conference’s guest pro speakers, you neglected to mention that @danmishkin has actually shown up in this very forum. Maybe he could add his two cents on the conference?

I neglected to mention it because I wasn't aware of it! I see now that Mr. Mishkin hasn't posted in these parts in over a year, but if he'd like to comment on the conference, he's certainly more than welcome--he was present for more of it than I was, and he even offered insider's feedback to some of the presenters.

i_am_scifi

And as a preview for whenever our next Comic Talk will be, I just watched Justice League vs. The Fatal Five last night, and have things to say about it!

i_am_scifi

An extension of the dangers behind what Disney having control over so many franchises can do, news came out yesterday that production on the Mouse Guard movie was haulted with only two weeks to go until production began. They are currently looking for a new backer and distributor to continue moving forward. https://io9.gizmodo.com/disney-kills-foxs-mouse-guard-adaptation-but-that-does-1834136867

DAR

Fun episode as usual

1. I’d still get Disney+ even if they didn’t own Marvel and Star Wars(the Mouse Guard news is sad). But overall I’m still a fan. Plus this gives me a chance to watch every animated film in order. Though I’m sure Song of the South might be absent. Also all 30 seasons of the Simpsons. And there’s going to be some interesting documentaries from the theme parks to the Marvel characters

2, I loved the new Star Wars trailer. And I love the new movies to varying degrees. I’m just burned out by the same conversations especially the last two years

3. @Adam_Murdough Do you know if any of these lectures are available online?

4. I’ve skimmed through Detective 1000. And just purchased Spider-Man Life Story. Looking forward to reading them

5. @i_am_scifi I don’t know if you saw but DC cut back production on Swamp Thing.

I’m enjoying DC Universe especially now that they’ve upped the comics output

Bryan

Glad the package arrived safely!

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that there is such a thing as an academic Batman conference, but I still was. Thanks for the report!

Enjoyable episode all around.

Mark_Engblom

Re: Disney

I have to admit, I just don't share the grim foreboding I've heard buzzing around the pop cultural commentariat hivemind regarding recent Disney developments. It's not as if all choice, creativity, and excellence will suddenly disappear now that the ink is dry on the Fox acquisition...and I find the fear that artistic freedom and consumer options for entertainment will dry up a little hysterical. Take a look around our society and I think even the most kneejerk anti-corporatist can (most likely reluctantly and privately) admit that there is absolutely no shortage of entertainment options for the average American. Whatever your tastes, whatever your interest, whatever your particular personality, whatever your muse...there is something out there for you to spend your time and treasure enjoying. The "Disney as Borg" boogie man has been circulating for decades, yet creators continue to create and consumers continue to consume a dizzying array of products, productions, and an ever-expanding variety of niche entertainment communities in ways and delivery systems we never dreamed of twenty years ago. Due to the liberating effects of crowd funding, voices that were NEVER heard from in the past are making new inroads into the public's imaginations and pocketbooks. In short, it's never been better and more exciting to be a creator and a consumer. Case in point: the hegemony of Netflix being threatened by Disney will most likely cause them to improve both their service and their content, which to me seems very static and "too cool for school". Varying their content will not only help them hold on to me as a customer, but will most likely give them pause on their ever-inflating monthly fees (I just got a notification of yet another price increase from them). If Disney cannonballing into the streaming pool gives me more options and makes their competition better, I honestly can't pretend to lose sleep over this theoretical sterilization and creative strong-arming of entertainment that's supposed to be coming our way. Disney is great at what they do...and they just keep figuring out ways to do it better. Who thought back in 1977 there would ever be a Star Wars theme park we could visit in 2019? I certainly didn't...so I guess to the Dreaded Corporate Borg I would say "thank you" and "keep going".

Mark_Engblom

As for the Star Wars trailer, I absolutely loved it.....ESPECIALLY the Palpatine laugh at the end. None of the villains in this new trilogy have been especially impactful, so I can't wait to see a heavy hitter like the Emperor return (regardless of whatever form it ultimately takes). In a way, the Star Wars movie saga has been just as much about Palpatine and his machinations as it has been about the Skywalker clan, which essentially was brought about by the Sith lord's decades of scheming and manipulation in the first place. He's a character that's always played "the long game", and I'm happy to see that paying off in a big way in the final chapter. Pass the Memba-berry pie!

Brack

Mark_Engblom said:

Re: Disney

I have to admit, I just don't share the grim foreboding I've heard buzzing around the pop cultural commentariat hivemind regarding recent Disney developments. It's not as if all choice, creativity, and excellence will suddenly disappear now that the ink is dry on the Fox acquisition...and I find the fear that artistic freedom and consumer options for entertainment will dry up a little hysterical. Take a look around our society and I think even the most kneejerk anti-corporatist can (most likely reluctantly and privately) admit that there is absolutely no shortage of entertainment options for the average American. Whatever your tastes, whatever your interest, whatever your particular personality, whatever your muse...there is something out there for you to spend your time and treasure enjoying. The "Disney as Borg" boogie man has been circulating for decades, yet creators continue to create and consumers continue to consume a dizzying array of products, productions, and an ever-expanding variety of niche entertainment communities in ways and delivery systems we never dreamed of twenty years ago. Due to the liberating effects of crowd funding, voices that were NEVER heard from in the past are making new inroads into the public's imaginations and pocketbooks. In short, it's never been better and more exciting to be a creator and a consumer. Case in point: the hegemony of Netflix being threatened by Disney will most likely cause them to improve both their service and their content, which to me seems very static and "too cool for school". Varying their content will not only help them hold on to me as a customer, but will most likely give them pause on their ever-inflating monthly fees (I just got a notification of yet another price increase from them). If Disney cannonballing into the streaming pool gives me more options and makes their competition better, I honestly can't pretend to lose sleep over this theoretical sterilization and creative strong-arming of entertainment that's supposed to be coming our way. Disney is great at what they do...and they just keep figuring out ways to do it better. Who thought back in 1977 there would ever be a Star Wars theme park we could visit in 2019? I certainly didn't...so I guess to the Dreaded Corporate Borg I would say "thank you" and "keep going".

Well it's good to be optimistic, but I can tell you that Crunchyroll has been experiencing a continuing downturn in performance since AT&T bought Otter Media, and now they're going to charge you more for the worse service. Merging companies tends to mean a downgrade in service somewhere, as costs get cut.

Mark_Engblom

Brack said:

Well it's good to be optimistic, but I can tell you that Crunchyroll has been experiencing a continuing downturn in performance since AT&T bought Otter Media, and now they're going to charge you more for the worse service. Merging companies tends to mean a downgrade in service somewhere, as costs get cut.

Let me be clear: I'm not saying that in all cases corporate mergers are great things and no negative effects can come from them. What I'm saying is that, in this particular case, I just don't understand all the angst over Disney's business plans. Much of it just feels parroted from other sources without any real examples of how Disney's various corporate maneuvers are going to limit any of my future entertainment choices in any significant way. So, it's not "Yay corporate mergers!", but rather "Yay Disney!". Let's all just take a breath, sit back, and see what happens before we start worrying about Disney ruling our lives.

Brack

Mark_Engblom said:

Brack said:

Well it's good to be optimistic, but I can tell you that Crunchyroll has been experiencing a continuing downturn in performance since AT&T bought Otter Media, and now they're going to charge you more for the worse service. Merging companies tends to mean a downgrade in service somewhere, as costs get cut.

Let me be clear: I'm not saying that in all cases corporate mergers are great things and no negative effects can come from them. What I'm saying is that, in this particular case, I just don't understand all the angst over Disney's business plans. Much of it just feels parroted from other sources without any real examples of how Disney's various corporate maneuvers are going to limit any of my future entertainment choices in any significant way. So, it's not "Yay corporate mergers!", but rather "Yay Disney!". Let's all just take a breath, sit back, and see what happens before we start worrying about Disney ruling our lives.

The triumvirate of disappointment that was Black Hole, Condorman and Tron left me with deep suspicion of Disney from an early age.

matchkitJOHN

Seeing how I am only about 90 minutes away from Bowling Green I need to get on a mailing list for conferences like this. I meet get to meet Murd!

alienal

Was this the episode that I got a shout out from Murd about living in Japan? Plus, Murd must be clairvoyant because at the time I didn't live in Tokyo, but now I'm moving there!

mphil

I'm behind on my podcasts so I just got around to this one.

@i_am_scifi I hope you'll give Doom Patrol a chance and report back. The show is top notch imo. Not sure if you're a fan of the comics at all or not?

nweathington

It’s been reported that the Mouse Guard movie is officially dead now. No other takers have emerged. They released an early demo reel a couple of days ago.