GateCrashers

Latest Episodes:

The Boys Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

GateCrashers is back with Season 6! With our return, we are switching new a new release format. From here on we will be releasing the show in seasons! Each season will have its unique theme with episodes and content reflecting that theme. Our first season is called Capes 'N Cowards. We will be taking a look at different superhero-style universes that we think are worth checking out! This season will include The Boys, Venture Brothers, Mystery Men, and Minor Threats!

We begin this new season by kicking off with The Boys with Dan and Ethan. Ethan had never watched or read any of The Boys before we began preparing for this episode. We can promise that he will never be the same after this diabolically and rather... milky show. Dan was practically raised by Garth Ennis comics so he has been very excited to finally get to a fantastic adaptation that we think is worth your time to check out.

The Boys follows a group of unlikely non-superpowered individuals as they do everything they can to get their brand of revenge against The Seven and Vought. The superheroes of this world are unlike any other because they are mostly the worst humanity has to offer with corporate backing. There is also a lot of Billy Joel so that is a huge plus for any show. The show's first 3 seasons and the spin-offs are available for streaming on Prime Video.

Join us as Dan talks about all of The Boys skins in Call of Duty and we try to stay on topic as we talk about this week's topic. Be sure to leave us a review on any platform where you listen and subscribe. Those both help us tremendously find new listeners to help them find things that could bring them joy like it brings up.

GateSlashers 3: V/H/S Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

GateSlashers is back baby! This year though, we needed a new slasher. We kinda sent ours through a portal into the multiverse last year. Luckily, Dan had a box of slasher audition reels on VHS tapes in his office that Jake stumbled upon in Dan's absence. So this year, Jake and Ethan are trying to find the show's new slasher. It goes as well as you assume. But because we already broke out the VHS Player, we are also finally covering the V/H/S franchise!

Join Jon, Ethan, and Dan as they talk about one of the consistently wildest anthology horror film franchises out there. They discuss every short from the first film to the newest in the V/H/S line. There are several very big horror names who started in the series before they got a chance to tell their own stories solo.

Dan also opens the show by talking about the absence of the podcast as of late due to mental health and absolute burnout. We also announce how the show will be changing next year to combat that but to also put out better episodes on a more consistent basis! We will be movie to a season format in 2024. Each season will revolve around a theme to include different movies, games, comics, and all sorts of stuff that you may enjoy that falls under those theme umbrellas. We really hope you like the change so you can get more GateCrashers in 2024.

Don't worry though, you will still get GateCrashers 4 next October if the team survives next year. It's still up in the air especially after you hear the tapes of this year's special.

James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds Talk Dracula Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

Dracula doesn't suck. I'm sorry to start off with a pun about vampires but not really. Skybound has been killing it recently with getting huge IP comics with incredible creative teams. When they announced that they had the licenses for the Universal Monsters, I almost had to pick my jaw off the floor. But when they said James Tynion and Martin Simmonds were going to be unearthing Dracula, my jaw did hit the floor. You may know the team from their incredible series The Department of Truth where they tackle all sorts of conspiracy and cryptids. But now this dynamic duo has moved onto telling their version of the story about the biggest vampire of all time in spectacular fashion. I had the chance to chat with them about opening up the tomb of Dracula to adapt the story for comics.

Dracula is a showcase of why horror thrives in comics. Tynion's masterful scripting is on display in this issue with some truly incredible scenes to introduce us to the characters. Some of the dialogue had me giggling, which is very important to me in a comic. I have read most horror comics that have come out in the last few years and I was shocked how much I was flipping through this issue of a story I knew very well over and over. Tynion brings a unique flair to everything he works on and this is no exception.

But as you'll hear in this interview, Martin Simmonds design and color palette take Dracula to a higher plane. There is a masterful use of sepia tones to emulate the black and white nature of the film itself but with vibrant thematic splashes of red through the issue. The design and emotional displays from Renfield are some of the strongest artistic elements I've seen in a horror comic. The use of Dracula's eyes in the story drives home the power of the vampire which we get into Simmond's artistic inspirations about in this interview. We discuss both the colors and the character designs at length in this interview about their Dracula series.

Daniel Warren Johnson Talks Transformers Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

Growing up, Transformers was always something I thought was cool but didn't really look into other than some figures. My closest understanding of the characters and the franchise was based on the Michael Bay films which I stopped seeing after the third installment. So I went into Skybound/Image's Energon Universe with no expectations except the ones I had for Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer. But from the first page of their debut Transformers first issue, I was hooked. It's an incredible new start for the Transformers and we got to sit down with Daniel Warren Johnson to discuss it.

Daniel Warren Johnson's storytelling is often larger than life and bombastic with Spicer's incredible coloring. But beneath the art and incredible fight scenes, there are always relatable themes that have connected with me very personally. Transformers #1 is no exception. The human characters of the story have a really gripping introduction which I can only see blooming more as the story goes on. It's an incredible reintroduction to these characters that is an accessible jumping-on-point for people unfamiliar with the franchise.

You have a comic about giant transforming robots in disguise as cars, but you have a story of loss, war, and friendship that drives the story home more than any other major IP comics out there right now. If you haven't read the first issue yet, stop reading this and go pick it up.

I was lucky enough to sit down with Daniel Warren Johnson and talk about his storytelling methods. We also got into talking about the figures of Transformers and how he poses them for his art. But Daniel is also a huge wrestling fan so we end our conversation by setting up the ultimate AEW tag teams for Optimus Prime and Starscream. Make sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you can!

Brian Michael Bendis Chats Craft, Creating, and The Ones Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

When I discuss comics with people who started reading earlier I did when it comes to Marvel Comics, they normally talk about the legendary writers they grew up with like Chris Claremont, Jimmy Starlin, and other writers who defined Marvel Comics. But I started reading comics in the late 00's so the name that always comes to mind when it comes to character-defining writing is Brian Michael Bendis. The first Spider-Man comic I read was Ultimate Spider-Man #1 so to say that Bendis holds a special spot in defining my comic experience is an understatement.

And I got to interview him.

Listen as Brian Michael Bendis and I talk about his series The Ones available now from Dark Horse Comics. The first volume dives into a group of characters who were all "the one" at some point in their lives. It's an incredibly funny story with one of the funniest iterations of Satan I have read. If you love Bendis' humor, this is that but off the leash of big 2 comics.

We get into a discussion about the way books he works on do their crediting pages with the artists being co-creators. Bendis talks about how he approaches working with artists to create original series such as long-time collaborator Michael Avon Oeming.

Brian talks a bit about his love of the craft while citing some things he loves to get into the nitty-gritty of. He talks about character backstories and the such that he works out off the page and just how deep he gets into those.

I also had to ask about Green Goblin in Ultimate Spider-Man. We discuss the reasoning for making him into a monster which has a very interesting idea behind it.

I also got a chance to ask a unique question about siblings! Brian's brother Jared is someone I follow on TikTok whose content about tabletop games brings me a lot of joy. I didn't realize they were brothers until recently so we chat about that as well! Follow Jared here!

Kelly Thompson Talks The Cull/It's Jeff! Aug 23, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, we interview a creator I've wanted to speak with for quite some time: Eisner-winning comics writer Kelly Thompson! You may know her from her extensive work at Marvel (including a fifty-issue Captain Marvel run and the creation of Jeff the Land Shark), her creator-owned titles Black Cloak and The Cull at Image, or her upcoming Birds of Prey run for DC. Kelly's work covers a very wide range of tones, from goofy misadventures to dramatic explorations of trauma and grief, and as you'll hear, she likes to mix and match a variety of influences to create some truly unique stories.

Our conversation begins with a focus on The Cull, which recently saw the release of its first issue. The series sees Kelly reunite with artist Mattia De Iulis, who she previously collaborated with on Jessica Jones: Blind Spot and Jessica Jones: Purple Daughter. Described as "Something is Killing the Children horror vibes mixed with The Goonies-style adventure", the series follows five teenagers who go off to make a short film at a creepy rock by the ocean… only one of them isn't being honest about why she really chose that location. It's a spooky, character-focused drama with weird monsters, and there's a lot of diving into the creative process in this interview.

Next, we talk all about Kelly's breakout character at Marvel, Jeff the Land Shark, who will receive both a third batch of It's Jeff! Infinity Comics on Marvel Unlimited, and a print version of the second wave of It's Jeff! comics this Fall. This conversation covers everything from the drastic evolution of Jeff's look over the past few years to common misconceptions about Jeff (he's not a baby, just a little guy!). Kelly also talks about some of the directions that West Coast Avengers (the series Jeff originated from) could've gone and the untapped potential of comics for kids. It's a fin-tastic time!

Deep Diving into Minor Threats With Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, and Scott Hepburn Jul 12, 2023

Show notes

With the trade paperback of Minor Threats: A QUICK END TO A LONG BEGINNING hitting shelves today, it's a great time to listen to co-creators Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, and Scott Hepburn dig into the series. Minor Threatologists Quinn and Dan sit down with the team to really do a deep dive into the first volume of the series and the world blooming from it.

You can pick the book up now anywhere you buy your comics!

We also spend a LOT of time talking about Shit Eater. Just like a lot of time spent on one weird background character called Shit Eater. I hope you are ready for all the shit-talking you can handle.

Minor Threats is a series that focuses on crooks and criminals in a superhero world. But we aren't talking about the A-Tier villains like your Jokers and Green Goblins. We focus on those C-listers who get an issue or two before the hero foils their plot. The series focuses on those types of characters to flesh out what that world looks like. How do you function in a world where the villains above you are gods and monsters when you simply have cool toys?

Patton, Jordan, and Scott talk about the construction of their world on iconography that are familiar and distinct but with their own unique flavor brought to the page.

We talk with the team to break down some of the most iconic pages from the series and what went into their construction. Scott gets the chance to break down the flow of his art in the series. We discuss the visualization of powers.

Minor Threats often walks the line of humor and trauma in the series, a topic Patton and Jordan unpack with certain characters in the series.

Stick around to the very end for a spoiler-filled discussion about the end of the series and what it means moving forward for the Minor Threats universe.

Indiana Jones Jul 05, 2023

Show notes

On this week's GateCrashers podcast, the gang is here to talk all things Indiana Jones in their usual chaotic way. So join Ethan, Jake, Jon, and RJ as they dive into the man in the hat's adventures.

Before they move into a free-ranging discussion on all things archaeology, the gang first talks about the history of Indiana Jones, from its very first beginnings to the forthcoming release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. For instance, did you know the idea for Indy was first pitched to Steven Spielberg by George Lucas while the latter was hiding out with his friend in Hawaii to what he expected to be the catastrophic debut of his newest film Star Wars? Or how about Tom Sellick almost playing Indy before his duties on Magnum P.I. pulled him away, leaving the door open for Harrison Ford to take on his most iconic role? (That's also why Chip & Dale from Rescue Rangers are dressed up as Magnum and Indy, fun right?)

The gang then moves on to dig into each of the films in-depth. They chat about Raiders of the Lost Ark being one of the great movies, Temple of Doom's… um, issues, The Last Crusade's constant rewatchability and how we all love it maybe even more than Raiders, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's undeserved reputation and how it's actually a lot better than most give it credit for. They then close out with their hopes for Dial of Destiny as they get ready to say a final goodbye to one of cinema's greatest icons.

Just in case it's not clear what we covered, here you go:

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

And if you want more Indiana Jones goodness at GateCrashers, check out Jordan's retrospective series on the original films.

A Conversation with Chuck Tingle Jul 03, 2023

Show notes

On this episode, we are joined by a very special guest. As a site that celebrates sincerity and creates things that are sometimes a bit outside the box, this interview is something special. This author creates art that is unlike anything out there with a full heart untainted by irony or anything of that matter. Today, we are speaking with the one and only Chuck Tingle. Get ready buckaroos because this is one of the best interviews we have done!

Chuck Tingle is a self-published Hugo award-nominated author whose titles include Space Raptor Butt Invasion, The Physical Manifestation Of Wurdle Pounds My Butt As A Slightly Frustrating But Ultimately Rewarding And Meditative Daily Routine, and many other titles. But Chuck has ventured into the world of publishing to get his first traditionally published work out to all of the buckaroos through bookstores and more. This is the first time you can pick up Chuck's work in a traditional bookstore so please be sure to support him and queer horror by preordering it here and calling your local library to make sure they get a copy as well!

Chuck Tingle's book is called Camp Damascus which revolves around a young girl's journey of self-discovery in Neverton, Montana. Which is a "god-fearing" community that is built around a megachurch and a conversion camp called Camp Damascus. I don't want to give too much away about the story in a quick summary here but I will say once I started reading, I couldn't put it down other than to get a few hours of sleep. But I woke up at 6:00 AM like a child rushing downstairs on Christmas morning to finish it. It treats the camp like a monster just under the surface like Jaws, which Chuck speaks about in our conversation. It is one of the best pieces of queer horror that I have ever gotten the honor to read. I truly hope you give this book a chance because it's unlike any other horror I have read.

This is the first time you can pick up Chuck's work in a traditional bookstore so please be sure to support him and queer horror by preordering it here and calling your local library to make sure they get a copy as well! Preorder link: http://bit.ly/CampDamascus

Fallout: Winter of Atom Interview Jun 21, 2023

Show notes

Today is a first for GateCrashers! We are sitting down with the lead designer and editor of a tabletop roleplaying game. We are discussing the newest campaign for the Fallout TTRPG from Modiphius Entertainment. Dan is joined by Donathin Frye, Lead Designer on Winter of Atom, and Jacky Leung, Designer/Developer and Editor on Winter of Atom.

This latest campaign book for Fallout: The Role Playing Game is looking to offer an experience more intense and in-depth than anything seen previously, and at the forefront of that experience are the titular Children of Atom. Main quests will keep your attention as you square off against the Last Son of Atom, a megalomaniac seeking to convert everyone to the Children of Atom, while side quests will offer up chances to explore the world and hunt down better supplies. And true to the source material, terrifying monstrosities will be waiting around every corner.

Donathin and Jacky help break down what goes into creating a book like this. They talk about things like the collaborative nature of building a campaign with a group of designers and how much work goes into each mechanic. We discuss the new winter mechanics that come to the Fallout universe.

The group also dives a bit into the story elements of the campaign and what it holds for seasoned Fallout TTRPG players and newcomers alike. We discuss the specific flavor of Fallout and what the process is like to get things approved by Bethesda to fit into the canon of the series. Dan also gets to ask about what went into adding some of the new settlements mentioned in the game book and how settlements play into the campaign as a whole. The pair also explain the best place to start with the TTRPG to get your feet wet with the specific 2d6 roleplaying system that the series uses to make the game more cinematic.

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