One of the hardest working men in podcasting, Gene Hendricks (The Hammer Podcasts, The Quantum Cast, Anime Freaks) drops by to join Chris and Cindy in discussing the infamous 1974 Wonder Woman TV pilot movie starring Cathy Lee Crosby as a very blonde, very non-traditional, not-quite-Amazon Princess! Decked out in much different costume, she matches wits with Ricardo Montalban (in a very familiar costume for Fantasy Island fans), an international thief who has stolen some top-secret code books! I...
Apr 23, 2015
Favorite (and only) son Andrew Franklin rejoins his parents, Chris and Cindy to take a look at two, count ‘em, TWO deaths of Superman! No not those two from the comics, two from the heralded DCAU, or the Timmverse, if you prefer! First up, from Superman: The Animated Series comes “The Late Mr. Kent”. On a mission to save an innocent man on death row, Clark Kent is seemingly killed! How can the still breathing Man of Steel resurrect his alter-ego, and manage to save the innocent man in his final ...
Apr 08, 2015
This episode marks the beginning of a new recurring feature: The Starman Chronicles, covering James Robinson’s epic DC series from beginning to end. Jack Knight is no hero. He’s a collector and dealer in pop culture antiques. His father Ted was Starman, defender of Opal City and member of the Justice Society of America. Now his brother David wears the red and green and protects their city. But when David falls, and Opal succumbs to Starman’s greatest enemy, will Jack be able to rise to meet the ...
Mar 19, 2015
Holy Dusty Television Treatments! Chris and Cindy take a look at the recent Batman 66: The Lost Episode comic, based on an unused treatment by Harlan Ellison! Len Wein, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez (Praise Be His Name) and Joe Prado present the 60s TV universe debut of Two-Face! What did this Dynamic Duo think of it? Can the comic escape Cindy’s piercing logic? The worst is yet to come! Who do you think should have played Two-Face on the classic Batman TV series? Let us know! Meanwhile, at Stately Fra...
Mar 05, 2015
Chris and Cindy continue to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the show by looking at the wedding issues of Marvel and DC’s flagship heroes, Spider-Man and Superman, and you’re invited! First up is Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21. Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson struggle with doubt in the days leading up to their wedding. But is it more than just cold feet? Will they make it to the altar (or the courthouse steps, at least)? And whose idea was this, anyway? What corporate synergy has brought t...
Feb 19, 2015
Chris and Cindy celebrate the first anniversary of Super Mates, and Valentine’s Day with a look at famous Super Hero weddings! Hear them discuss the legendary nuptials of some of the world’s greatest super heroes! First off, it’s the wedding of Aquaman and Mera in Aquaman (vol. 1) #18! Aquaman becomes the king of Atlantis, but he must choose a queen! Despite his love for Mera, he must marry an Atlantean! Will the two love birds work it out, or will Arthur feel the fury of a Sea Queen scorned?!? ...
Feb 05, 2015
Brian Heiler, mastermind behind PlaidStallions.com and author of Rack Toys; Cheap, Crazed Playthings returns to talk about some of our favorite creative toys from childhood! But first he dishes the dirt on the exciting new Captain Canuck Mego-style figure he is helping to produce! Then we dive into discussion about Presto Magix, those great rub-on transfers featuring our favorite characters! All you needed was a pen or a coin and you could create some awesome action scenes. Our talk leads into a...
Jan 22, 2015
Chris and Cindy visit their bookshelf of the past, and pull out some of their favorite children’s books featuring the World’s Greatest Super Heroes! First up is 1966’s Batman and Robin: From Alfred To Zowie! Learn the alphabet with the Dynamic Duo, as Chris recites the pulse-pounding text by Ruthanna Thomas, and describes the art by comics veteran Tom Gill! You can practically hear the Neal Hefti theme! Oh wait…you can! Then it’s off to The Super Dictionary from 1978. This strange DC Comics expe...
Jan 08, 2015
Have a Timm and Dini Christmas, it’s the best time of the year! Chris and Cindy celebrate the season by discussing some favorite yuletide themed works by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and the fine folks at Warner Brothers Animation! First off is The Batman Adventures Holiday Special. Follow the heroes and villains of Gotham throughout December, as they spread Christmas cheer…and mayhem! Batman and Batgirl face off against Clayface, Harley and Ivy, Mister Freeze and the Joker! This comic inspired The Ne...
Dec 18, 2014
Grab your box of Crayolas and join Chris, Cindy and their special guest, Brian Heiler in a discussion of something every kid knew so well…coloring books! Brian, in addition to being the author of Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings, and editor-in-chief of the Mego Museum.com, is also the mastermind behind Plaid Stallions.com. There he hosts Coloring Book Theatre, exploring the highs and lows of licensed coloring books. From a neutered Fonzie in a tan jacket, to David Lynch’s not-suitable-for-kid...
Dec 04, 2014
Chris and Cindy beam back aboard the Enterprise to review two recent photonovel comics by industry legend John Byrne, and published by IDW! These “lost episodes” feature actual images of Shatner, Nimoy and company…recomposited to fit Byrnes’s new stories! First up is Star Trek Annual, 2013: “Strange New Worlds”. The Enterprise intercepts a transmission from Delta Vega… the planet where Captain Kirk was forced to kill his best friend Gary Mitchell…driven mad by god-like power in the 2nd series pi...
Nov 20, 2014
How did Chris and Cindy spend their Fall Vacation? Well pull up a chair and will show you some slides. No, wait! Don’t leave! We promise not to torture you with pictures of the world’s biggest ball of twine. No, we’re talking Disney World, people! We give you the run down of the Halloween goodness we experienced in the Happiest Place on Earth. Then we talk about Marvel Universe Live, where you’ll believe a Nuclear Physicist Can Ride…a dirt bike? Plus, Cap goes all Reb Brown! Then its couch potat...
Nov 06, 2014
It’s the final trip to the House of Franklin-Stein, and the Franklins have saved the best for last! Okay, maybe not the best, but certainly the most fun! Chris, Cindy and special guest-son Andrew discuss director Fred Dekker’s love letter to all things monsterific, 1987’s The Monster Squad! Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and the Creature descend upon 1987 suburbia to bring about an age of never-ending evil. The only thing standing in their way is a bunch of foul-mouth...
Oct 23, 2014
On our third trip to the House of Franklin-stein, Chris and Cindy are joined by their son Andrew to discuss his (and Chris’) favorite Universal Monster film, 1941’s The Wolf Man! Lon Chaney, Jr. gives an iconic performance as the doomed Larry Talbot, the prodigal son who returns to his Welsh home only to stumble into a nightmarish world of ancient folklore and gypsy curses! When Larry intervenes to save a life, he is bitten by a wolf, or was it a werewolf? Will Larry convince his father, Sir Joh...
Oct 09, 2014
It’s our second trip to the haunted House of Franklin-Stein! This time Chris and Cindy Franklin tackle the Prince of Darkness with Hammer’s 1958 opus, Horror of Dracula! Christopher Lee is pure evil as the blood-sucking count, out for revenge against those who would dare oppose him. Peter Cushing is the screen’s best Van Helsing (don’t even TRY to argue about it), dedicated to ending his unholy reign of terror once and for all! Then the Super Mates venture into the comics crypt for a look at Det...
Sep 18, 2014
Welcome to the House of Franklin-stein! It’s part one of our blood-curdling horror series, where Chris and Cindy Franklin take a look at some of their favorite classic horror films, and comics featuring super heroes vs. legendary monsters! First up is 1935’s masterpiece, Bride of Frankenstein! Boris Karloff returns as the monster, and he demands a mate! Colin Clive is back as reluctant Dr. Henry Frankenstein, forced to return to his mad experiments at the insistence of his own creation, and the ...
Sep 04, 2014
In this episode, Chris and Cindy Franklin gush about the Guardians of the Galaxy, and that segues into discussion on the state of the comic book movie. Where they’ve been, where they are at, and where they are possibly going. Can Marvel Studios do no wrong? Is DC/WB finally getting on track? Will Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice shock and awe us? Then it’s time to dig into the Super Mates Mail Bag for more feedback from you, our fantastic listeners! Topics include: How bad was that 70s Spidey...
Aug 21, 2014
Cindy and Chris Franklin discuss some comic-related movie and toy news from the recent San Diego Comic Con, including the teaser trailer and other reveals for Batman v. Superman: The Dawn of Justice. Also some news on another possible DC hero coming to the screen (if you smell the magic word he may or may not be cooking) and some new merchandise from the soon-to-finally-be-on-DVD-and-BluRay 66 Batman TV series. Then it’s off to the topic at hand; the classic story “Who is Donna Troy?” by Marv Wo...
Aug 07, 2014
Chris and Cindy squeeze a volcano and end up in a parallel world! Okay, they don’t do that, but Superman does, in the classic World’s Greatest Super Friends episode, “Universe of Evil”! Our Man of Steel must contend with some devil-worshipping Super Enemies, while his evil counterpart makes mincemeat out of our Super Friends. It’s childlike, nonsensical awesomeness! Then the Super Mates get a little more serious and review the even more classic Justice League episodes, “A Better World, Parts 1 a...
Jul 17, 2014
This episode, Chris and Cindy Franklin are joined by Andrew Leyland of such fine podcasts as Hey Kids, Comics!, The Fantasticast, and Palace of Glittering Delights to discuss Andy’s topic of choice; the 1977 Spider-Man TV pilot film! Journey with Andy and the Super Mates on a free-wheeling trip back to the decade of polyester and see how the Spidey legend was reinterpreted through 70s eyes…and low TV budgets! The trio explores the history of the series, and how it measures up to Spidey comics of...
Jul 03, 2014
Cindy and Chris play Santa Claus and read the letters and comments YOU have sent them. And just like the Jolly One, a lot of these letters are about toys…specifically our 80s Toys episodes. So there is even MORE discussion on great 80s toys like Super Powers, Secret Wars, G.I. Joe, Transformers, M.A.S.K., Masters of the Universe, Jem, Spectra and more! Oh, and there’s talk of Batman, Star Trek, comics, movies and all sorts of stuff that geeks need to live! iTunes Thanks to everyone who has writt...
Jun 19, 2014
In this very special episode, Chris and Cindy Franklin are joined by Chris’ friend and podcasting mentor, Rob Kelly! Rob is the co-host of The Fire and Water Podcast, the writer of the award-winning Ace Kilroy web strip, the editor and compiler of Hey Kids, Comics! True-Life Tales from the Spinner Rack, and one helluva nice guy to boot! Rob and the Super Mates discuss three Batman tales penned by award-winning television writer and successful novelist, Alan Brennert. Brennert has only written a ...
Jun 05, 2014
In this episode, Chris and Cindy Franklin share two of their favorite comic book mini-series; The Untold Legend of the Batman by Len Wein, John Byrne and Jim Aparo, and The Legend of Wonder Woman by Kurt Busiek and Trina Robbins. Batman is targeted for destruction by a foe who knows his every secret! The Darknight Detective must reexamine his own history to discover the shocking identity of this merciless tormentor before it is too late! Listen as Chris and Cindy wade through flashbacks filled w...
May 15, 2014
Chris and Cindy Franklin dig deeper into their 80s toy box! Chris waxes poetically about his love for the be-all-end-all of DC toy lines, Kenner’s Super Powers Collection. Oh, yeah, he also mentions its “pretty-in-its-own-way” cousin, Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars. Cindy talks about My Buddy, and of course the conversation must touch upon his demon-spawn, Chucky! But there’s more! You’ll get fond childhood memories of Care Bears, Transformers, and My Little Pony along the way. Chris laments ho...
May 01, 2014
Journey with Chris and Cindy Franklin back to the decade of excess…excessively cool toys that is! But first the happy couple does their geeky duty and Rap About Cap…Captain America: The Winter Soldier film! In this spoiler-free mini-review, both gush about how they love Chris Evans (for totally different reasons) and why you should run out to a theater and see this movie…after you listen to this episode of course! Then on to the toys! From roided-up barbarians to fruit-scented dolls, it’s Part 1...
Apr 17, 2014
Space…the Final Frontier…for geekery! Join Chris and Cindy as the beam into the 23rd century! First they explore the strange new world known as the Lexington Comic Con, where they meet none other than Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner! The Captain is commanding a much smaller vehicle these days! As we travel at warp speed, the Franklins discuss how they got into Star Trek, and of course debate which version of Trek is best (like there is any real debate?). Then it’s on to our Prime Directive...
Apr 03, 2014
It’s Bat-Mania! We begin with the first installment of “Super Mates Theater”. Robin is late to school! How’s a Batman going to get him there on time? Take the Tumbler! Then on to our feature, audio commentary on two key episodes of Batman: The Animated Series! A name from the past splits the Dynamic Duo, as Batman sidelines his trusted partner, leading both to recall the events that brought them together years ago. Watch along with Chris and Cindy Franklin as they give you their take on the clas...
Mar 13, 2014
Valentine’s Day may be over, but the love-in continues! Join Chris and Cindy as they tackle the loves and losses of comicdom’s most famous red and blue heroes! Yes, it’s DC and Marvel’s flagship characters, Superman and Spider-Man! Follow Spidey and his bride-to-be-and-yet-never-was Mary Jane from that first famous door knock, to the deal with the devil that undid it all. Then stop by Metropolis to visit comics’ first couple, Lois and Clark, who finally made good on 50 years of “will-they-won’t-...
Feb 27, 2014
It’s our debut episode, and it’s Valentine’s Day! Join Chris and Cindy Franklin as they reveal the Secret Origin of their relationship, and how it involves comics. Then we get to the topic at hand, and examine some of comicdom’s greatest couples and learn lessons in love and marriage, including; Self-mutilation to save your child. When is it okay to wear dominatrix gear and torture your spouse and teammates? Fostering a strong marriage with an inescapable reincarnation curse hanging over your he...
Feb 13, 2014
