Agents Of F.O.U.R. Yes, the episode title is a blatant piece of attention-grabbing, what with the release of the TV show. This week, we welcome back Charlie Niemeyer to the show. Host of Superman In The Bronze Age and Charlie's Geekcast , and co-host of Starman Observatory , Charlie is just the guy we wanted to have sit around whilst Steve summarises this week's issue! And what an issue. Having been teased with Gorgon last week, we now get a full bevy of Inhumans this week. Crystal. Lockjaw. Kar...
Sep 28, 2013•1 hr 3 min
The Gentleman's Name Is... Niemeyer! Hello and welcome to the landmark milestone never-to-be-reached-again-unless-we-restart-the-numbering fiftieth episode of The Fantasticast! In case you hadn't guessed from the title, this week Steve and Andy are joined by veteran podcaster Charlie Niemeyer. Known by some as the host of Charlie's Geekcast , by others as the host of Superman In The Bronze Age , soon-to-be-known by some as one of the co-hosts on Starman Observatory , Charlie is best known for hi...
Sep 21, 2013•1 hr 17 min
You Are Cordially Invited... Andrew Leyland and Stephen Lacey would like to invite you, the listener, to the wedding of Reed Richards and Susan Storm. Venue: The Baxter Building. Time: To be confirmed upon RSVP. Speeches to be given by the hosts and Samuel Savage. Warning: S.H.I.E.L.D., upon advice from the groom, have issued notification that due to the high public profile of the wedding, there may be uninvited guests. Please be vigilant and comply with all security protocols. Artists and write...
Sep 14, 2013•1 hr 11 min
Lo, There Shall be An Episode Lo, there shall be a cover image. Redesigned by Sam Savage (more on him later) to better show off both the glorious Kirby cover artwork and the glorious Georgiou artwork. Lo, there shall be a guest host. Sam Savage (see? I told you there'd be more of him) joins us this week to try his hand at speaking out loud. He does a pretty good job of it! Lo, there shall be a coverage of Fantastic Four #43, featuring the wrap-up of the Frightful Four trilogy quadrilogy pentalog...
Sep 07, 2013•1 hr 8 min
Because Once Just Isn't Enough Hello and welcome to the 47th episode of The Fantasticast. There's a strong sense of deja vu in the air today, as thanks to a recording failure, Steve and Andy are doing it all over again. So, for the second time, we're covering Fantastic Four #43, wherein an evil Ben Grimm does his best to help the Frightful Four defeat the Fantastic Four. We're also checking in with X-Men #13, wherein a slightly-brainwashed Johnny Storm does his best to help the X-Men defeat the ...
Aug 24, 2013•1 hr 29 min
Change, My Dear, And Not A Moment Too Soon After 19 months and 46 episodes, Steve and Andy have decided to call it a day. Join us at the start of this episode as we broadcast live to the world to exclusively announce who the next hosts of the Fantasticast are. The betting has been hot, Rich Johnston keeps naming other potential hosts other than the ones who will be announced, and shortly, the secret will be revealed. Here's hoping all of the anticipation isn't in aid of a 30 second opening gag t...
Aug 10, 2013•1 hr 13 min
The Final Strange Tales Hello and welcome to the 45th episode of the show. This time around, Steve and Andy are once again joined by Christine Hanefalk of The Other Murdock Papers to examine the guest appearances of Daredevil in the Fantastic Four. Well, half a guest-appearance at least. In Fantastic Four #40, the team, along with the Man Without Fear, take part in the Battle of the Baxter Building against none other than Doctor Doom. Then in Strange Tales #134, everybody's favourite non-interfe...
Jul 27, 2013•1 hr 56 min
The Other Other Murdock Papers Podcast Podcast Hello and welcome to the 44th episode of the show. This week, Andy and Steve are joined by Christine Hanefalk, writer of the The Other Murdock Papers blog and host of The Other Murdock Paper podcast. Why do we have such an incredibly awesome co-host who has dedicated large amounts of time and creativity to a blind lawyer who is definitely not a super-hero oh no not at all? Well, Fantastic Four #39 is the first of a two-part epic featuring an attack ...
Jul 13, 2013•2 hr 15 min
From Rorschach To Father Jack Hello and welcome to the new look for the Fantasticast. The wonderful Mike Georgiou has designed a band-spanking new image for the show, which you'll have seen on our facebook page , on our twitter account , and, if you've grabbed the episode through itunes or another podcatcher, you'll be seeing it on the show's page there. Check out Mike's work at his website , follow him on twitter , and maybe grab a copy of his great comic, Elemental Micah. And huge thanks go to...
Jun 29, 2013•1 hr 41 min
Happy Birthday Us Hello and welcome to the latest Fantasticast episode. Steve has just turned 30, and Andy has just turned a little-bit more, so it's celebration time. Or at least it would be if we hadn't recorded 2 weeks in advance and forgotten when this was due to be released... This week, we look at Fantastic Four #37, as the team head into space to exact bloody vengeance upon the party responsible for the death of Dr Storm. Then, in Strange Tales #131, Johnny and Ben face off against the Ma...
Jun 17, 2013•1 hr 32 min
Andy's Amazingly Awesomely Authentic American Accent It's challenge week over at The Fantasticast, as a surprising e-mail to the show leads Andy into uncharted vocal territory. Fantastic Four #36 sees a whole slew of firsts for the title. The Wizard and Paste-Pot Pete escape from Strange Tales, The Sandman transfers over from Amazing Spider-Man, and we get the first ever appearance of a member of the Inhumans - Medusa. Then, in Strange Tales #130, Steve and Andy's American accent get to grips wi...
Jun 01, 2013•1 hr 54 min
Love (And A Sodding Big Dragon) Is In The Air In the second half of our coverage of books cover-dated February 1965, love blossoms unexpectedly. Steve and Andy take a look at Fantastic Four #35, as a giant dragon somehow comes to life and terrorises Ben and Reed's alma mater. Then in Strange Tales #129, some gubbins involving a train and some pathetic henchmen. Send in your feedback to fantastic4podcast@gmail.com , leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at fantasticflameon.wordpress.com . Fo...
May 25, 2013•1 hr 11 min
Amazing Spider-Man Classic Today, we throw the rules out of the window and staunchly refuse to read any issue of Fantastic Four or Strange Tales. Instead,guided by editors notes, we attempt to put the comics cover-dated February 1965 into some sort of continuity order. So, we start with Amazing Spider-Man #21, co-featuring The Human Torch. It's a three-way smackdown between Johnny Storm, Peter Parker, and Abner Jenkins. You know, The Beetle! We then briefly head over to Avengers #13 to see how t...
May 18, 2013•57 min
Two Not-That-Fat Men On Fantastic Four Well, that was a different way to open the show... This week sees a slightly-shorter-than-usual episode, for a few reasons. One is we're only covering 2 comics this time around. Another is that Strange Tales doesn't have a great deal going for it. And another is that Steve's mic was creating some pretty bad sounds, so he edited the heck out of the episode to minimise its impact. In Fantastic Four #34, the mysterious tyrannical tycoon Gideon tries to prove h...
May 03, 2013•1 hr 18 min
Yes, Mr Lister, Sir! Hello and welcome to another episode of The Fantasticast! This time around, Steve Lacey (20 Minute Longbox) and Andrew Leyland (HeyKids Comics) guide you through three excellent slices of Silver Age Marvel magic. Yes, three. We're classing Strange Tales this month as officially 'Not Crap'. Fantastic Four #33 sees Lee and Kirby break the formula and conventions of the title to create genuinely exciting and innovative read, supported by some of the best art that Kirby and Ston...
Apr 20, 2013•1 hr 39 min
John Byrne Quits Comics Hello and welcome to the 36th episode of the show! This time, Steve and Andy journey into Fantastic Four #32, where a mystery villain causes John Byrne to stop reading comics. Then we're off to Strange Tales #126, where two very familiar villains almost cause us to stop reading comics. Finally, we stop in to Amazing Spider-Man #18, where a returning villain barely appears, and Peter Parker decides to go a-stalkin' Betty Brant. The Fantasticast: With extra added rapping wi...
Apr 06, 2013•1 hr 29 min
House Of The Fallen Storm Ooh, a cryptic title! On this episode of the Fantasticast, Steve Lacey and Andrew Leyland see the Fantastic Four title leap forward into a new era of storytelling, whilst featuring the team's very first villain. It's #31 - The Mad Menace of the Macabre Mole Man. Then in Strange Tales #125, the storytelling takes a huge leap backwards, before jumping forward again in Amazing Spider-Man #17. Oh, and we also have one of the greatest number one singles of all time to close ...
Mar 23, 2013•1 hr 32 min
The Doomcast Hello, and welcome to the first episode of the Doomcast, hosted by Professor Alan. Joining him this week are Steve Lacey and Andrew Leyland of The Fantasticast, who are summoned to the Office of the Cultural Attache of the Great State of Latveria to explain why so many of their episodes paint Doctor Doom in a villainnous light, rather than the heroic view that all peoples of Latveria see him. Or... Professor Alan of The Book Guys join Steve and Andy this episode to take a look at th...
Mar 09, 2013•1 hr 57 min
Bad Horse, Bad Horse He rides across the nation, the thoroughbred of sin, and when you eat that burger you'll be eating him. The food contamination sees his evil game begin. That lasagne, that nice burger, that hotdog might contain, of course, some horse (some horse), some horse (some horse). Of course, if you've been ignoring the horse meat contamination scandal in the UK, then that intro means nothing to you. This week's London Super Comic Covention-co-inciding episode sees Steve and Andy join...
Feb 23, 2013•2 hr 5 min
Now With Genuine People Personalities The 32nd episode of the Fantasticast is here, and Steve and Andy are ready to guide you through three Silver Age issues of Marvel goodness.* *WARNING: Goodness is used for descriptive and not literal purposes. We start with Fantastic Four #29 - It Started On Yancy Street, featuring the return of a surprise guest-villain and the first instance of Jack Kirby's photo montage. We then move to the origin of The Beetle in Strange Tales #123, before briefly checkin...
Feb 08, 2013•1 hr 26 min
Just Three Of The Guys It's time for another episode of the Fantasticast. This time around, Steve and Andy are joined by the mighty Shawn Engel, host of Just One Of The Guys and co-host of Two True Freaks: Walking Dead Wednesdays. Shawn joins us for one of the most interesting and enjoyable issues from this period - Fantastic Four #28: We Have To Fight The X-Men. No prizes for guessing who guest-stars in this issue... Then it's on to Strange Tales #122, which features Three Against The Torch - D...
Jan 26, 2013•1 hr 43 min
Horny Namor It's the 30th episode of The Fantasticast, and our first episode of 2013. To kick off the new year, we start with one of the longest running plot threads in the Fantastic Four - that love triangle between Sue Storm, Reed Richards, and Namor the Sub-Mariner. It's time to wrap this plot up and put it to bed, and Fantastic Four #27 almost does that. We also say goodbye to inker George Roussos, and sadly he's not leaving on a high... Then it's over to Strange Tales #121 and the highly-an...
Jan 12, 2013•1 hr 22 min
Steve And Andy Throw Their Normal Format Out Of Window, Choose Some Comics To Review, And Have An Unfeasibly Long Episode Title Hey everybody! We did it! We made it to the end of our first year! Yes, one year ago (give or take a couple of days), the first episode of the show was released. To celebrate our first birthday, we decided to abandon our issue-by-issue format for one episode only, and do a little something special. A podcaster's choice, if you will. So, we chose an issue each from the e...
Dec 28, 2012•1 hr 28 min
Bailey's Iceman Podcast And... we're back. Special guest-host Michael Bailey brings to a close his record-breaking run on the Fantasticast by joining Steve and Andrew to cover Strange Tales #120, featuring Iceman from the X-Men. It's a shorter episode this week, a little pre-Christmas appetiser, if you will. The audio quality is a bit odd this week. The normal record failed, so we had to use Michael's backup record. Unfortunately, as Michael was about 4200 miles away from both Steve and Andrew, ...
Dec 22, 2012•40 min
Hulk Goes Home And Plays With His Trains We're back, and we're bringing Michael Bailey with us! Once again, we drag Michael into our business as we sit down and take a look at Fantastic Four #26, featuring the conclusion to the first ever two-part story in the Fantastic Four. Marvel as the Hulk and the Thing carry on punching each other! Be surprised at Reed's miraculous recovery! Astonish at the Avengers, busting out of their own book and cracking skulls in this one! Send in your feedback to fa...
Dec 15, 2012•1 hr 24 min
Ha! Not So Different After All! Welcome to the 26th episode of the show. This episode is the second half of our coverage of the comics released in January 1964, focusing on the strangely different Rabble Rouser in Strange Tales #119. We also cover the reprints and collections of the issues, the British number one, and there's a bumper collection of outtakes and diversions that didn't quite fit into the episodes for you to enjoy. Guest-host Michael Bailey returns to help us with this week's issue...
Dec 08, 2012•53 min
December is here, and to celebrate, the Fantasticast has a special guest. We're also going weekly for the month. This week's episode focuses on Fantastic Four #25, where news of Captain America's ascendancy in The Avengers causes the Incredible Hulk to go on a rampage in New York, with only the First Family of Marvel standing in his way. Viruses, beatings and insecurity are all troubles that will have to be overcome if the team are to be triumphant. To help us out with this multi-issue epic, we ...
Dec 01, 2012•1 hr 35 min
An Enfant Terrible Is Not Literally A Terrible Infant No, it really isn't. Welcome to the twenty-fourth episode of The Fantasticast. This time around, Steve Lacey (20 Minute Longbox) and Andrew Leyland (Heykids Comics) take a look at Fantastic Four #24 (featuring the Infant Terrible) and Strange Tales #118 (featuring the return, again, of the Wizard). To our surprise, both of these issues are better than our admittedly low expectations had led us to believe. Along the way, we read your emails, t...
Nov 18, 2012•1 hr 33 min
(Asbestos) Grease Is The Word In the twenty-third episode of The Fantasticast, Steve and Andrew do the following: Cover Fantastic Four #23 - The Master Plan of Doctor Doom Cover Strange Tales #117 - The Return of The Eel Read your e-mails Explain social networking for the over-40s Make at least one too many Jimmy Saville jokes Sing Send in your feedback to fantastic4podcast@gmail.com , leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at fantasticflameon.wordpress.com . Follow us on twitter, where we a...
Nov 03, 2012•1 hr 16 min
Going Underground Hello and welcome to the twenty-second episode of The Fantasticast! This week, Steve and Andy have their biggest haul of comics to cover for the show, as well as a mountain of emails to go through. First up is the return of the Mole Man in Fantastic Four #22. Then we have a full-on smackdown between Ben and Johnny in Strange Tales #116. Then we drop in on Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers #3, before finishing off with another Spidey/Torch fight in Amazing Spider-Man #8. We a...
Oct 19, 2012•1 hr 39 min
