Fire & Water #242 – Finding Our Joy in 2019

Geek Talk! Shag and Rob wrap up 2019 and "Find Their Joy" as they discuss some favorite things from the year!

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Opening theme by Michael Kohler.

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45 responses to “Fire & Water #242 – Finding Our Joy in 2019

  1. So, I’m cooking and listening to the two of you enthusing about all the fun stuff you’ve enjoyed through the year; such an uplifting show.
    And Blake’s 7! YES! Welcome to my childhood; between Dr Who and Blake, this was my sci-fi growing up. Season 2&3 are my favourites, especially the episode entitled “Gambit” written by Robert Holmes, most famous as the writer of some of Doctor Who’s best classic era stories.

    Perhaps you could add a “British cult fiction 101” podcast to your bulging file of show ideas – there’s loads of esoteric UK shows of the 60’s, 70s & 80’s to enjoy (especially if you’re a big fan of cheap, pre-CGI special effects!)

    Happy 2020 to all the F&W team!

          1. I have absolutely zero memory of “Into the Labyrinth” although (thanks to Wikipedia) it looks as though the locations used were all within about 10 miles of where I now live! The cast and writing team look really strong, so I’ll have to see if it’s been released on disc at any time.
            Neither do I recall Star Maidens, but it looks like a low budget Space 1999.
            I have stronger memories of “Sapphire and Steel” and the DVD set was one of my Christmas presents this year, so I’m looking forward to dipping into that soon.
            My favourite obscure British sci-fi is Star Cops – only ran for one (famously beleaguered) series on TV, but Big Finish are currently releasing more Star Cops audio dramas with the original cast.

  2. This was a good episode. There isn’t a whole lot to do or a whole lot of people in NorthWest Ohio , where I can discuss or be a part of our comic world. This network is like an open door to all the great like minded people who enjoy this stuff. It really does help lower my blood pressure, get through the day, and bring a smile to my face. Thanks to all the great hosts, guests, and participant listeners.

  3. Thanks for another great episode. If you want to know how much I love the Great British Bake Off all you need to know is that my Christmas present from my husband was a signed copy of Nadiya Hussain’s book.

    I am also beyond excited about the Brennert/Ordway story. I maintain that the Deadman and Supergirl story from Christmas with the SuperHeroes was the best DC story of the 80s.

    If you’re looking for a patreon stretch goal have you considered asking Kelly to change her surname to Roberts? I’d pay in for that if only because it would be even more confusing for when you full in forms.

    Anyway a happy new year to you and yours. It sounds like you’re planning some great stuff.

  4. It’s always nice just to listen to Rob and Shag just have a chat, without anything specific to discuss. Thanks for letting us listen in.
    Ready or Not was indeed a heat time at the movies. It my my top five list for 2019,
    1. Avengers: Endgame
    2. Ready or Not
    3. Captain Marvel
    4. The Kid (I’m a sucker for westerns)
    5. The Dead Don’t Die (although I seem to be in the minority for even enjoying that one)
    I also “found my joy” in some unexpected comic book series this year.
    1 War of the Realms.
    (This was a throwback to when these big epic crossovers were fun and exciting, and not about “shocking deaths”, “unexpected betrayals” or “shaking up the status quo”)
    2. The Punisher: Kill Krew.
    Normally I prefer the Punisher to stay grounded, taking on the mob and drug dealers on the streets of NYC, but his quest for retribution across The Realms of Asgard was a blast!
    3. Black Panther & The Agents of Wakanda.
    This is an eclectic group of Marvel heroes taking in global threats. (Plus, Janet Van Dyne is one of my favorite Marvel heroes)
    4. Captain America & The Invaders.
    A one-shot special that reunited the talents of Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway
    5. Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman hardcover collection.

          1. Fair enough, along with Selena Gomez there is plenty of hotness to go around.
            Did you find it ironic that Iggy Pop looked healthier than he has in years?

  5. Great end of year recap.

    Much like Rob, going through a tough and at the same time great year, figuring out a new course in life.

    Boston Comic Con was a high point and meeting you guys was just great.

    Don’t know about DragonCon yet … but not out of the picture yet.

    Lastly, for favorites.

    Soooooooooo happy we have a Legion book again.

    And personally, my slavish devotion to breaking down the clues in Event Leviathan were my favorite blog posts on my site. Even if my ultimate theory was wrong, I had an absolute blast.

    1. Boston FanExpo was a big highlight of my year, no surprise. I’m seriously considering DragonCon. Fingers crossed!

      Thanks for a great show to finish the year. Happy New Year, joy finders!

  6. Great show, I really enjoyed the conversation, gentlemen.
    One of the segments I could particularly relate to was the discussion of Alan Brennert’s work, both past and future (hell yeah, I’m looking forward to him writing a new comic story!): last September I read three of Brennert’s books from the ’80s, Kindred Spirits, Time and Chance and Her Pilgrim Soul (all outstanding, naturally), and I’m currently reading, as in about half-through, Moloka’i, which I’m enjoying immensely so far. I’m very much looking forward to reading Daughter of Moloka’i, which is in my to-read queue, right after Honolulu. As you can see, I’m making a concerted effort to finally reading Brennert’s non-comics prose (a few of those books have literally been sitting on my shelf for years now).

    And Rob, your enchantment with the Great British Bake Off is completely understandable. My partner used to watch it quite regularly – and I would sort of half-watch it with her while working on my computer. It is an extremely likeable show. Here in Croatia, there’s a similar show, except the contestants cook full three course meals (starter, main course, dessert) with three professional chefs evaluating their work. It’s very similar to GBBO in that the entire tone of the show is friendly and congenial – the contestants often chat with each other while working and sometimes even give each other tips and advice, and the pros are almost never mean-spirited in their evaluations.

    1. Edo, have you read Brennert’s Palisades Park? It’s wonderful.

      (Anyone remember those ads in Silver Age DC Comics for Palisades Park, that made it look like giant versions of Superman and Wonder Woman lived there?)

      1. Not yet, I’ll probably get to it in a few weeks (work commitments and real life permitting). I just finished Moloka’i last night, and have decided to jump right to Daughter of Moloka’i before Honolulu and Palisades Park (which, I’m sure, is as wonderful as you say, given everything else Brennert has written).

  7. This was a delightful conversation to listen to! What a busy geek-y year you’ve each had! Rob sounded positively ebullient. I am very glad I took the opportunity to meet you, and so many others, when you came to Boston last summer!

  8. Great show guys! I enjoyed the quips and conversation. A lot of great recommendations in here for me to check out. I think my film of the year was The Dead Don’t Die. Excited to hear what you have in store for the coming year.

  9. Rob – The name of the Australian dessert baking show I mentioned is called “Zumbo’s Just Desserts”. My wife recommends also “Sugar Rush”! Both on Netflix. Enjoy!

  10. Fun show! Sounds like it was a great year. Like Shagg I also track my DC Universe and Marvel Unlimited reading. I was using two separate accounts on comicbookdb(dot)com for it, entering each read issue to My Collection with the month read as the aquired date. Unfortunately the site is currently down but it’s supposed to come back better. Thankfully I was able to export to csv. Does anyone what use similar methods? DC Universe was definitely my joy in 2019 with the addition of all the comics. I also recently, yes I’ll admit it, signed up for Archie Unlimited and am enjoying the reboot issues as well as a lot of classic Christmas stories.

  11. Great show, men, and thanks for another year of great entertainment. So let me know where to meet y’all in early March. I’m told it’s creepy when I just show up, and my lawyer says I do NOT need another restraining order.

  12. Oh, and my wife and I finished our MASHcast-motivated watch-through this year, which successfully got my kids (moderately) interested in MASH. Thanks again!

  13. This was a great episode looking back on what was for the most part a great year. I am quite pleased (and jealous of) Shagg’s newfound FASERIP (take that, Hero Points!) RPG group, and also quite happy to hear that he discovered and enjoyed Paper Girls, which was one of my favorite new comics of the past several years. I’m also very happy and excited for Rob and all of the new developments/plans happening in his life. I am, however, writing this comment after the news of Xum Yukinori’s passing, so I cannot help but also mention how truly sad I am about that, and how glad I am to have discovered and experienced his creative persona through this network. Here’s to 2020, folks.

  14. Thanks for a fun year-ender. I’m tickled that Shagg has discovered Blake’s 7, that was a hoot. If it had been mentioned that sexy Servalan was played by Hammer star Jacqueline Pearce, Rob might have been sucked in.

    I’m equally chuffed that Rob is a British Bake Off booster; does he have access to the spin-off aftershow, An Extra Slice, with comic Jo Brand? It’s a hoot. And has he tried The Great British Sewing Bee and the Great Pottery Throwdown? They’re from the same stable, and great, though the male pottery judge has self-inflicted tragic hair and cries far too much. Maybe that’s why he cries. Oh, and the Great Model Railway Challenge, that’s strangely faboo.

    I’ve never read a Stephen King book either, but I have seen Psycho on the big screen with a live orchestra.

  15. Gents – thank you so much for this episode! I had to get up early (4:50am) to get on the train on a Monday and I felt rather morose about it and this episode made me in a better mood, like a fine hot coffee.

    I am with Shagg on hotels, I’ve traveled so much that I am not a fan of them. I get very annoying when they are not all the same. “This hotel only had a 40” tv! Are the heathens?!?”

    My wife hates musicals as well. When we went to the screening of La La Land, afterwards I was like “That was AWESOME!” she was like “I’m so glad that was over, let’s go eat!”

    My favorite geek moments this year:
    (Ranking order)

    – Being a guest on Mountain Comics! That was so much fun.
    – Seeing 2001 on 70 mm print complete with overture and intermission. This movie has to be seen on a big screen to get the real experience.
    – Meeting Neil Gaiman and talking to him at an after party for Good Omens
    – New York Comic Con I met the cast for Batwoman. They were super cool. I discovered a lot of new comic book artists. Got more into French comics (I like that art style)
    – Met Tom Hanks for 10 seconds at a screening. It was like seeing a wax statue at Madame Tussauds, it was very surreal.
    – Meeting Joe Bob Briggs (horror host from the 90’s)
    – Watching Captain Marvel. I didn’t see it until it was on Disney+ it was SO GOOD.
    – Watching Mandolorian. I loved it and I felt like Jon Faverau played with same action figures as me as a kid because he featured them in the series. An IG-11 walking and shooting! Are you kidding me?!?! 🙂
    – The Infinity War Series. Sorry, I like this cross-over better than that other major big Marvel one 🙂

    That is all I can think of for now. I need more caffeine – Lucien

  16. I thoroughly enjoyed your year-end Geek Talk, gentlemen. I particularly like the love you showed for the Great British Baking Show, which my family has been fans of since our local PBS station began carrying it, and Knives Out, with which my wife and I fell in love when we saw it last weekend.

    Two big geek highlights for me in 2019 were:

    1. Attending the Boston Fan Expo. It was great meeting some of the F&W community face-to-face, and it was wonderful to share the whole experience with my wife and daughter.

    2. Watching my daughter develop her own geeky interests. This year, she became an uber-fan of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson (and other related) YA book series. In six months, she has devoured 20+ of his books.

    Here’s to another year of hearing your voices in my head (sometimes when I’m not even listening to your podcasts).

  17. Thanks for a great year of podcasting and another great show! It’s always a pleasure to hear you guys have a conversation and this year-ender was no different.

    Now, I know it was a joke, but I would definitely listen to a Night Court-cast. “That wasn’t herb tea… that was Herb!” That was my favourite “mature” show to watch as a kid. Not to defame other shows on this network, but I never got why Cheers was so huge and Night Court was not. Didn’t they air right after one another? Don’t people see the comic genius of John Larroquette?!

    I picked up the single issues Silver Surfer: Black and thought it was fun. I could see why the Treasury edition might be a good investment as Tradd Moore’s art was very detailed.

    Rob, could I suggest you do a live Film and Water from the movie theatre in your new apartment? Almost a Siskel and Ebert like review? Maybe I’m just jealous and am trying to live vicariously through you and your private theatre.

    And I can’t thank you guys enough for that copy of Who’s Who. This is just another reason you guys are some of the best in the business and why this community is so great. Being on the left coast of Canada, I don’t get to attend some of these awesome sounding conventions where you guys have meet-ups, but maybe one day! Until then, keep up the great work!

  18. Gentlemen, one of my daughters is a Zumbo’s fan, and I’m passing on your other recommendations to her. Thanks for the tips!

    Also, great discussion of the year, Rob and Shag!

  19. So is there an official ruling on whether it’s “Shag” or “Shagg”? I’ve been listening to you people for years, and I feel like I should know this by now.

    1. (Puts on academic cap, robe, monocle, Spider-Man bowtie, and wizard staff.)

      Answer: it’s “Shag”, based on “Shaggy” a la Scooby-Doo, back when said the Irredeemable One had shaggy hair in a bygone era. However, certain social media platforms flag and block “Shag” as it’s slang for boom-chicka-boom-boom in some English-speaking countries. In those situations, the slight adjustment to double-gee satisfies the naughty-naughty-checking algorithms. Thus, our hero reluctantly permits either spelling.

      Translation: You can call him “Shag”, or you can call him “Shagg”, but don’t call him late for dinner.

  20. Just spent some time going through all these comments! Y’all are the absolute best. Sharing these discussions back-and-forth between the community just makes my heart soar! Looking forward to continuing the community spirit throughout 2020!!

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