Ka-pow!

Remember when all we had all summer were boring old reruns?  No more!  Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast returns to wrap up our discussions on four of the biggest television series of the season.  And to help, we kept Jesse Starcher of the Source Material Comics Podcast around to add his perspective. Length - 00:52:55 Language - R.  (Contains adult language.) - 0:02:49 - TV RECAPS & REVIEWS A phenomenal fourth season of "Stranger Things" concludes on Netflix, "The Boys" pushes the superhero envelope in season three, engaging family drama makes up for so-so story in Disney+'s "Ms. Marvel" and more apocalyptic time-travel shenanigans on "The Umbrella Academy."

Our latest episode of Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast involves two epic tales.  In the first, Seth recounts his recent journey to one of the best comic conventions in the country, Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina and the multitude of legends he was able to rub elbows with.  And then we spend the rest of the show reviewing Marvel's space viking action comedy, "Thor: Love & Thunder!" Length - 01:14:58 Language - PG-13.  (Contains adult language.) - 0:29:10 - THOR: LOVE & THUNDER Our SPOILER-heavy thoughts on Taika Waititi's second superhero spectacle, how the villainous Gorr compares to his comic book counterpart and whether we need a concrete "plan" for where the MCU is heading to enjoy these things or not.

Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast is back for the second session of our "Kids on Bikes" RPG adventure!  This time out, it's the weekend of the Sternwheel Festival in small town Marietta, Ohio in 1987, but with so much supernatural chicanery afoot, Sam, Robert and Conrad may not survive to see the famous fireworks show.  So follow along with "Grave Decisions," Episode Two: "Who Ya Gonna Call?"as GM Seth guides Jesse Starcher of the Source Material Comics Podcast, gaming newbies Cliff and Jordan - and a super surprising guest player! - on the next leg of our nostalgic 80s escapade. Length - 03:28:01 Language - R. (Contains adult language.)

"Star Wars" fans have been waiting a long time for an Obi-Wan Kenobi prequel to reveal what the Jedi master was up to between the tragedy of Episode III and the new hope of Episode IV.  Now, thanks to Disney+, we have it!  And Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast has a SPOILER-filled review of the entire series along with another ambush Top Ten List of Cliff's favorite music from the saga.  Yub Nub! Length - 00:54:04 Language - PG-13.  (Contains adult language.)

Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast kicks off our inaugural RPG session of "Kids on Bikes!"  It's the Labor Day weekend of 1987 in small town Marietta, Ohio and for Sam, Robert and Conrad all they have on their minds are bike races, parades and fair games.  Will a little mysterious green goo and a spooky cemetery ruin their holiday fun?  Tune in to "Grave Decisions," Episode One: "First Settlement" as GM Seth guides our guest Jesse Starcher of the Source Material Comics Podcast and gaming newbies Cliff and Jordan on a nostalgic adventure through their own back yards! Length - 02:30:02 Language - R. (Contains adult language.)

Our pal Jesse Starcher of the Source Material Comics Podcast stuck around after a long night of gaming to help us at Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast review some of the amazing television shows currently streaming into our homes on a non-stop basis.  No one person can keep up with everything on the air... but four persons can come pretty close! Length - 01:13:25 Language - PG-13.  (Contains adult language.) - 0:02:10 - CROSSING THE STREAMS Dropping in on Hawkins with the long-awaited return of "Stranger Things," the debut of a relatable new hero in "Ms. Marvel," "The Boys" is the perfect satire for our superhero-saturated times, the third season of "Barry" wades into even murkier morality, HBO's "The Time Traveler's Wife" blends relationship drama with a sci-fi conceit, Jon Bernthal leads a team of crooked Baltimore cops in "We Own This City" and Adam Sandler shines in the underdog sports story "Hustle" on Netflix.

Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast goes where we've never gone before... role playing games!  Inspired by our love of "Stranger Things," listen as we dip our toes into the world of "Kids on Bikes," a collaborative world building RPG set in a 1980s small town full of big mysteries.  In this first episode, total noobs Cliff and Jordan learn a few of the basics and create our characters with help from Jesse Starcher of the Source Material Comics Podcast and our resident GM and all-around Poobah, Seth. Length - 01:05:52 Language - PG-13. (Contains adult language.)

And now for the conclusion to our countdown of the twenty greatest time travel films of all time!  If you thought Part One was combative, Part Two ratchets up the tension even more, edging closer to the top with fewer and fewer chances to make sure our personal favorites secure a spot on the list.  So join Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast and our special guest Jesse Starcher of the Source Material Comics Podcast as we reveal picks #10-1 and celebrate the classic sci-fi movies that have impacted us the most. Length - 02:02:07 Language - PG-13. (Contains adult language.)

In a list that's been long in the works, we decide on our definitive picks for the twenty greatest time travel films of all time!  In Part One, we lay out the rules and reveal our choices for #20-11.  Things get contentious right away, as we each immediately begin jockeying to get our favorites included, so set your watches to join Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast and our special guest Jesse Starcher of the Source Material Comics Podcast as we scour the past, present and future to assemble our latest and greatest movie countdown! Length - 01:25:21 Language - PG-13. (Contains adult language.)

After the monumental multiversal madness of episode #100, Riverdale is back to what passes for normal, and Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast is back to covering every maple-soaked moment.  Percival Pickens: Entrepreneur begins making moves against the town just as our kooky quartet discover they may be developing superpowers in Chapter 101 "Unbelievable" and Chapter 102 "Death at a Funeral." Length - 00:49:06 Language - PG-13. (Contains adult language.)

We skip ONE recording session and BAM, we end up dogpiled by new content.  So indulge us as Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast plays catch-up, sifting through all the freshest, most recent offerings that tickled our fancy from television and film and hopefully finding something as cool and satisfying as a Marietta dole whip. Length - 01:36:23 Language - PG-13.  (Contains adult language.) - 0:06:30 - TV RECAPS & REVIEWS "Riverdale" announces its final season amidst major CW shakeup, new "Daredevil" series coming to Disney+, our first look at "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," more episodes of the racing docuseries "Formula 1: Drive to Survive," the ultra-sweet dating show "Love on the Spectrum," the social media-driven spectacle of "The Circle," Netflix's crime drama "Ozark" concludes, the "Workin' Moms" return for a sixth season, absurdist 90s comedy troupe "The Kids in the Hall" haven't lost a step in their Prime revival, an inadvertent and unauthorized Top 10 Sketch Comedy countdown, "This is Us" amps up emotio

Marvel's latest blockbuster has arrived and - surprise! - it's a Sam Raimi horror flick.  After catching up on some of the fun events we've gotten to attend over the last couple of weeks, Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast tackles "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."  This episode features a full-length, SPOILER-filled review of the film, plus musings on how well it managed the unreal fan expectations and where it all might be leading us in the future. Length - 00:54:27 Language - PG-13.  (Contains adult language.)

Holy Hollywood, Bat-Fans... Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast has a brand new approach to our usual list-making, as we try and compile the perfect Batman film by choosing elements from all the past versions to create one impossible mishmash of awesomeness.  It's basically a fantasy football draft... but for our dream superhero movie.  So tune in as we pick our favorite Batman, the most compelling villain, the coolest car, the most stylish setting and more, then let us know which of these three movies you'd most want to see! Length - 01:09:20 Language - PG-13.  (Contains mild adult language.)

Our favorite fanboy holiday is just around the corner, so it's time for Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast's annual Free Comic Book Day preview, showcasing all the goodies that will be available at shops across the country on May 7th.  Then stick around for opinions and reviews on a new superhero-themed RPG, a biting Stan Lee bio, Moon Knight, Thor, Disney boycotts and a whole lot more! Length - 01:14:45 Language - PG-13.  (Contains mild adult language.) - 0:01:18 - COMIC BOOK NEWS A sneak peek at this year's offerings for Free Comic Book Day, the "Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game" introduces a new way to play as your favorite hero, recent biography "True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee" digs for the facts behind the tall tales and the first teaser for "Thor: Love and Thunder" gets us excited. - 0:38:15 - TV RECAPS & REVIEWS "Moon Knight" lags through its halfway point, the amazing "Better Call Saul" returns for its sixth and final season, "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" succeeds

We may not all be able to do a kickflip, but Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast can do a pretty serviceable job reviewing all the recent streaming content headed down the pop culture half-pipe.  Comedies, dramas, documentaries and comic books adaptations, there is a little something of everything grinding its way across our screens this week. Length - 00:54:37 Language - PG-13.  (Contains adult language.) - 0:01:30 - MOVIE NEWS Zack Snyder recognized by internet fan votes at the Oscars, some thoughts on this year's Academy Award winners, zero takes at all on the Will Smith controversy and calls for a Disney boycott put the boss in the hot seat. - 0:10:40 - CROSSING THE STREAMS The CW network renews many of their marquee shows, comic adaptation "DMZ" arrives on HBO Max, first season of "Severance" some mind-bending sci-fi, "Julia" dramatizes the life and career of celebrity chef Julia Child, the next Marvel series "Moon Knight" debuts on Disney+, the skateboard documentary "Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off,

It's a monumental milestone for Riverdale, with our favorite teen-sex-comedy-horror-soap-opera-mystery hitting episode #100.  But far from being over the hill, the 'Dale managed to reward our longsuffering devotion to its breakneck twists and turns and refresh our excitement for what may still be coming next.  Chapter 100 "The Jughead Paradox" is a messy, meta, multiversal mind-trip down memory lane that feels like it was specially made for us here at Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast. Length - 00:56:19 Language - PG-13. (Contains mild adult language.)

As the sixth season of Riverdale rolls on, we remain trapped in the horror-tinged alternate reality known as "Rivervale."  This time out, Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast tackles Chapter 98 "Mr. Cypher" and Chapter 99 "The Witching Hour(s)," counting down to the landmark 100th episode with tales of devils and witches selling souls and switching Cheryls. Length - 01:01:19 Language - PG-13. (Contains mild adult language.)

Your friends at Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast are back with reviews and recommendations about all the most entertaining content on the airwaves at the moment.  After tallying up some statistics about our recent Top Ten countdown, we dive into new shows about con artists, pornographers and basketball legends, and dodge a few landmines trying to criticize Pixar's latest movie in the least offensive way possible. Length - 01:13:19 Language - PG-13.  (Contains mild adult language.) - 0:09:35 - TV RECAPS & REVIEWS Period piece "Minx" a comedy about smart people making dirty magazines, real-life grifters get the spotlight in pharmaceutical scandal "The Dropout," the socialite con-artist "Inventing Anna" and Jared Leto's "WeCrashed," Hulu's "Life & Beth" a bingeable comedy starring Amy Schumer, HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" a spirited chronicle of the NBA's heyday, big-name talent behind the animated shorts "The Boys Presents: Diabolical," and the Fox sitcom "Welcome to Flatch" find

And now for the finale to Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast's countdown of our Top Ten Favorite Comic Book Covers of all time!  The OJ, Mr. Jesse Starcher of the Source Material Comics Podcast returns as our special guest to unveil picks #5-1, along with a score of honorable mentions.  And again, this particular episode is best enjoyed with the visuals, so we recommend watching the video version on our YouTube page. (Part One can be found here.) Length - 01:49:17 Language - PG-13.  (Contains mild adult language.)

The countdown we've been wanting to do for ages has finally arrived, as we each unveil our Top Ten Favorite Comic Book Covers of all time!  We had to call in help for a task this monumental, so we welcome back special guest, The OJ - Mr. Jesse Starcher of the Source Material Comics Podcast.  You can listen to Part One of this episode, counting down picks #10-6, here like usual, but we suggest the far superior video version available on Ka-Pow the Pop Cultured Podcast's YouTube page. Length - 01:14:18 Language - PG-13.  (Contains mild adult language.)