Jim and I had a chance to chat tonight and it was a really nice therapeutic break! We discussed the Batman casting news, the new DC animation, and continued our look at Trinity War!
Monthly Archives: August 2013
Show update for the end of August!
Hey Everyone,
Sad news: My mother passed away on Sunday after a 7+ year battle with breast cancer. Over the years, so many of you have shared your thoughts, prayers and well wishes for her. Please know that whether we talked directly or it was something you did on your own, I appreciate the support. She was truly courageous and the most wonderful and supportive parent.
There will be another show in the next week or so. Things are a bit crazy on this end right now but as it settles, I am looking forward to taking a break and clearing my head with a conversation about all things comics! I think we all find something therapeutic in the escape that pop culture provides for us.
I will keep you posted and thanks for your patience, concern and understanding.
Sean
Show update: 1 or 2 more August shows planned and back to normal in September
Hey Everyone,
I wanted to give a quick update. As I posted here previously, my mother is very ill. I wanted to quickly thank everyone for their support. She only has what appears to be days left and she is being well cared for by fabulous doctors and nurses. I do want to say that she has always been my biggest support when it comes to reading. She always made sure I had access to books, comics, the library, etc. As a kid, she would give me gifts of comic subscriptions and bought comics for me whenever we would hit a local convenience store. (This was before a local comic shop.) There is so much I could say about how supportive she has been throughout my life. I have been very lucky to have her. I am sure everyone reading this has been luck enough to have people who have supported them throughout their life in a variety of endeavors. I encourage you to make sure you thank them regularly.
On the show side of things, I really want to get in another August recording. I love talking comics with all of you and that will happen. If possible, I’d like to sneak in two. Comics have always been a wonderful medium of escapist fiction for me and I really could use that right now. I am sure all of you can relate. September will gradually be a return to normal for the show. I will post here to keep you updated.
I consider the audience and community friends and really want to thank you for how supportive so many of you have been over the last 7 years of my mother’s cancer battle. You may not have known it but so many times this podcast has been there for me when I needed to shift focus. I hope on some level it has been there for you as well. I can’t wait to do more!
Thanks again,
Sean
Direct Current 2.0 Week of August 18th, 2013
Direct Current 2.0
Week of August 18, 2013
Something not so funny happened on the way to reading my comics.
By Jim Durdan
His is an opinion piece, and as such it is MY opinion, not Sean’s, not Jim’s, mine. Some of you are going to read this and probably not be happy with me, others are going to read and say who cares. Hopefully one of you will read this and say, your right. If the hobby we are passionate about is to grow and survive deep into this century and the next, we NEED to re-evaluate why young readers aren’t attracted to comics. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Captain America, The Hulk and a whole encyclopedia of others are the modern equivalent to the tales of Homer; they are our Iliad and Beowulf. If people 100 years from now still care about them as we do today, we need to make sure that others that come after us love them as we do. Right now that is doubtful………….
When I was a kid nothing would irk me as much as my Dad calling my comics, funny books. I was never sure if he was deriding my interest in them, or if he really called them funny books. It was only later in life, that I realized that when my dad was a young child, there were no “comic” books as we know them today, (Dad was born in 1917), but that era’s equivalent to our comics was indeed funny books. They were magazines that simply reprinted the “funny” pages of newspapers, therefore funny books. I am sure there are those today who cringe when we call them Comic Books, the new, stylish term is Graphic Novel. But be they “Funny Books”. “Comic Books” or “Graphic Novels” they are a unique American art form that has survived for almost 100 years. However, unless things begin to change, at least somewhat, the longevity of Comics as a story telling form has to be in question.
In the mid to late 30’s the modern comic was born, featuring new materiel, which lead to the rise of the modern superhero books. But somewhere since then, something has gone wrong, very wrong. Comics of yore clear cut, with no grey. Right always won, and we always knew who was right. There was never a question as to if Superman or Batman were wrong. It just wasn’t going to happen.
Continue reading Direct Current 2.0 Week of August 18th, 2013
Episode 361 is here: Earth 2 15, World’s Finest 14, The Movement 3, Green Team Teen Trillionaires 3 and more
Episode 361: Casual Comic Chat! Sean and Jim take a little break to catch up on favorites like Earth 2 15, World’s Finest 14, The Movement 3, Green Team Teen Trillionaires 3 and more. Plus we have some fantastic listener voicemails.
Note: Part 2 of our look at Trinity War will be next week.
Listener voicemails from Brandon, Ed, and Logan
Show Notes:
0:00 Show opening, http://www.heroinitiative.org, http://www.DCBService.com, http://www.Instocktrades.com, show voicemail line 1-440-388-4434 or drnorge on Skype,and more.
Show contact info and web site: http://0nm.a46.mywebsitetransfer.com
4:25 Earth 2, World’s Finest, The Movement and Green Team. (Note at the very end is a spoilery chat about the Trinity War Villain reveal)
1:30:05 Voicemails
2:18:25 Show Closing (Hawkman song by friends of the show “Wednesday Heroes”) http://wednesdayheroes.com/wordpress/
We’ll be back next week with our next episode. Check Ragingbullets.com, Twitter and our Facebook group for regular updates.
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New show tomorrow! Back on Schedule!
Thanks for the kind words everyone. My mom is stable for now and getting great care. Jim and I recorded last night. I plan to edit and release it tomorrow. We had some fun casual comic chat about Earth 2, World’s Finest, The Movement, Green Team, and a bit about the Trinity War villain reveal.
Our next show will continue with a Trinity War focus!
Thanks for all of the kind thought and support!
New show delayed : Family issue
Hey Everyone,
My mother has been fighting breast cancer for the past 7 years. The summer has been extremely rough on her, especially the past month. The past few days in particular have not been good. I still plan to record and release a show with Jim over the next couple of days. (Podcasting about fun material that comics provide is always therapeutic.) I’ll keep you posted. We currently plan to record Monday night depending on my situation. Thanks so much for your patience.
Sean
DC Currents 2.0 Week of August 10th, 2013
Direct Current 2.0
Week of August 10, 2013
Where the author comes back from the missing and talks about a Fox.
By Jim Durdan
So something funny happened on the way to the creation of this column, I got a new job. Sometimes things are just meant to happen and this was one of those times. I was called in for an interview on a Monday, and by 5 PM on that Tuesday I had a new job in an industry I have worked in and loved. I am currently an assistant director at a large publishing company that specializes in trade publications, indeed I am now working on the largest trade publication of its kind in the US.
Because of my suddenly found and renewed career I found myself with way too much to do this week and not enough time to do it. So, unfortunately, the column was pushed back till this weekend. In the future Direct Currents 2.0 will be moving from a Tuesday publication date to a Saturday/Sunday date. This will also allow me to take a look at what was published during the week and comment on it. So, that you for the patience, and a huge thank you to Sean and Jim for understating about the lateness of the project. Saluda to all of you!
One of the reasons I wanted to do a weekly gig involving DC Comics was that on occasion I wanted to take a look back at the past and help “flesh out” some of the creative genius that has gone before the modern era. But, and this was very important to me, I didn’t want to do the usual articles that pop up all the time talking about Siegel and Shuster or Bob Kane, or Jack “The King” Kirby, I wanted to take a look at some of the creative forces that have so shaped the modern era, but have, by and large, been forgotten by modern fans. This article is the first of those that will look back and throw a spotlight and forgotten genius.
New show Sunday night!
Our next show will be released Sunday night. It will be Trinity War Part 2, The Movement, Green Team and more.
Episode 360 is up: Trinity War Part 1 and more!
Episode 360: Trinity War Part 1 and more! Sean and Jim begin the first of a 2 part look at the Trinity War so far with Trinity of Sin Pandora 1, Justice League 22, and JLA 6. Batwing, JLD, Flash Annual, Conventions, Superman/Batman and the Man of Steel Sequel and more are also discussed in voicemails and casual conversation.
Listener voicemails from Anthony, Brandon, and Noel.
Show Notes:
0:00 Show opening, http://www.heroinitiative.org, http://www.DCBService.com, http://www.Instocktrades.com, show voicemail line 1-440-388-4434 or drnorge on Skype,and more.
Show contact info and web site: http://0nm.a46.mywebsitetransfer.com
5:15 Trinity War Part 1 and casual Batwing chat
2:07:35 Voicemails
2:55:05 Show Closing (Hawkman song by friends of the show “Wednesday Heroes”) http://wednesdayheroes.com/wordpress/
We’ll be back next week with our next episode. Check Ragingbullets.com, Twitter and our Facebook group for regular updates.
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