Jordan, Jesse, GO! - Live at Revenge Of in Los Angeles, with Brian Michael Bendis & Elliott Kalan

Episode Date: November 19, 2024

On this bonus episode of JJGo, we come to you live from Revenge Of in Los Angeles during their Comic Creator's Block Party this year, featuring comics legend, Brian Michael Bendis, as well as writer and podcaster, Elliott Kalan. There’s also a superhero smelling contest!Visit Revenge of in Los Angeles and grab some comics or play pinball!Be sure to get our new 'Ack Tuah' shirt in the Max Fun store.Or, grab an 'Ack Tuah' mug!Follow the podcast on Instagram and send us your dank memes!Get your copy of Jordan Morris's Youth Group!Check out Jesse’s thrifted clothing store, Put This On.Come see Judge John Hodgman: Road Court  live in a town near you! Jesse and John will be all over the country so don't miss your change to see them. Check the events page to find out where! Follow brand new producer, Steven Ray Morris, on Instagram.

Give a little time for the child within you. Don't be afraid to be young and free. Undo the locks and throw away the keys and take off your shoes and socks and run you. Hey Jordan Jesse Goh listeners. It's me, Jesse Thorne, America's Radio Sweetheart. And I'm Jordan Morris, Boy Detective. Well this is a very special episode of Jordan Jesse Goh. It's the first Jordan Jesse Goh we've ever recorded at a pinball venue.

Yes, a venue known primarily for pinball. If you hear a few brief voice clips of Game of Thrones in the background, that's why. Yes, if you hear Gomez Adams saying, thank you, thing, out of a speaker that's like, not great. But not a great speaker. No, we performed, we recorded this episode at Revenge Of, which is a wonderful independent comic book store and pinball place that now has a bar too, apparently, in Eagle Rock here in Los Angeles. We were invited by them and by Patton Oswald,

our friend Patton Oswald, put together a big day of stuff at this sort of like a mini festival at this venue and we're joined on the program by our pal Elliot Kalin from the Flophouse and by an actual comic book legend Brian Michael Bendis. Yeah this was a ton of fun to do and it was nice of Brian to play our stupid stupid games. He was so nice about it. He was really nice about our dumb games. We really were dumb. Yeah, this is some of the dumbest stuff we've done. There's a smelling contest. Yeah, there's a smelling contest, Jordan.

And the smelling contest is probably second dumbest to the thing that I did. So yeah, this was a blast. Revenge of is a great shop. If you're in the LA area, definitely check them out. If you're visiting, it is worth a stop by. And yeah, let's get to the show. Hi, hi everybody. Hey.

Hey. That's the kind of exciting introduction we offer on Jordan and Jesse Go. Just kind of moseying out. Hey, are they starting? Welcome to Jordan and Jesse Go. I'm Jesse Thorne, America's radio sweetheart. I'm Jordan Morris, boy detective.

Jordan Morris, you're not just the boy detective. You're also the greatest friend in American history. Well, you don't know. The reason for this is I have a 13-year-old child who is obsessed with horror movies. I am not obsessed with horror movies, and my wife is made physically ill by horror movies. And my daughter wanted to see

the movie, Terrifier 3. Anybody seen this thing? Yeah, we're at a pinball in comic books. This is like, well you saw Terrifier 1. Yes. It's like a horrific gore porn, right? Yeah, yeah, it's kind of over the top gore, a lot of skin being peeled off, a lot of limbs being snapped close up. It's like a horrific gore porn, right? Yeah, yeah, it's kind of over the top gore,

a lot of skin being peeled off, a lot of limbs being snapped close up. Just the kind of shit for 13 year olds. And so I didn't want to take her to it, so I texted one of our guests on today's program, Elliot Kalin, and our friend Benjamin Harrison in Jordan and said, will one of you please take my child to see Terrifier 3?

And Jordan volunteered and they went yesterday. That's true. I, you know, I like horror. I consider myself a real horror nut. I was not prepared for the shit that happens in this movie. Jordan, can I ask you a question? Because I dropped Grace off at the movie theater with you. And I noticed that on the counter of the movie theater

was a big sign that the movie theater had made. This was not like a marketing sign that said, Terrifier 3 contains these things. No refunds, please. Yeah, it was. It was like going to see The Tingler in 1955. Just like, we have a nurse on duty. Who will help you if you are too terrified?

Yeah, again, I like horror. I, you know, I've watched a lot of the stuff. I was watching the crazy shit that happens in this movie, and I was having some wee little conservative thoughts. Like, maybe kids shouldn't. And then maybe people should pull themselves up by the bootstraps. And then, you know, they're gone now.

But it was wild. Spoiler alert, chainsaw up the butt. Jordan, not just chainsaw up the butt, because my daughter came home singing the original song, which was composed for the chainsainsaw Up the Butt scene, which I believe was called, It's a Terrifier Christmas. Yes, I think it'll be our generation staying alive. If you need to evoke 2024,

you'll play It's a Terrifier Christmas. Anyway, Grace Thorne's review was, Movie of the Year. That's a direct quote from my daughter. And I would say it's a movie I saw this year. I, Jordan, I was worried about what the weather was going to be like today. And I looked at my weather app. And I guess I just, I guess the internet knows who I am.

Because I no longer get really awful advertisements and things, except in my weather app, because I have a don't track on my phone. And so my weather app will show me those kind of advertisements that are mostly baffling, and you can't tell what it could possibly be an advertisement for.

And in this case, Drew Barrymore for draft kings? This one was a picture of a door, and there was tin foil on the doorknob, and it said, put aluminum foil on doorknob. Click for reasons. You love reasons. I love reasons.

So you clicked, obviously. So obviously I clicked. There was 10 reasons that I love reasons. So you clicked, obviously. So obviously I clicked. There was 10 reasons that I definitely just transcribed and gave them up while I was driving here. The first one was concealed doorknobs identity. Sure, yep. There's one that said keeps door from drying out during long baking process.

Like a baked potato. Uh-huh. Turns knob into shoe buckle, useful for elementary school Thanksgiving plays that take place on doors. Sure. That's a common issue. This one I was confused by. It said, prevent accidental pregnancies. Okay, that's just bad advice.

That's just bad advice. Please, people, use a common one. This one just said, it said, crinklier. Okay. I guess makes sense. Oh, yeah. just said, it said, crinklier? Okay. I guess makes sense. It said, world's largest ball of foil that is attached to a door.

Cool. Keep Soviets from controlling door with radio waves. Okay, yeah. Other than the contraceptive one, I think these are all true so far. Yeah, these are all definitely real. I didn't make any of them up on the way here. Yeah, these seem real.

Perfect for doors that have butane torches and also smoke crack. We don't encourage that, but if it happens. No, probably keeps raptors from getting to you unless the raptors are made of lemon juice and then in parentheses it said, I don't remember Jurassic Park or middle school science class that way.

Are you saying that or is that the commercial saying that? What's the logic of this? Well, the website that I got to after I clicked on the commercial said that. And then the last one just said, nasty boy, your laptop camera sees you jack off, send Bitcoin. So that's what it said. When are you going to send me that Bitcoin, by the way?

I haven't gotten it yet. I'll get a notification, right, when you send me that Bitcoin. We've got some pretty exciting guests on this program. We really do. So we should start introducing one. Yeah, let's do it. How about that? Our first guest on the program is a five-time Eisner Award

winner. He co-created Miles Morales and Jessica Jones, among many others. Our first guest on the program is a five-time Eisner Award winner. He co-created Miles Morales and Jessica Jones, among many others. He's currently developing his own books, Jinx, Murder Inc, and Pearl, for Amazon Prime Video. Please welcome to the stage a genuine comic book legend, Brian Michael Bendis. Oh. Yeah. Yeah. I hope the phone will get done quickly, dude. Yeah.

Woo! Woo! Woo! That's all right. Thank you. Everyone's been so nice. Thank you so much. I had no idea what we were walking into today.

And it's just been lovely. Yeah. Literally since we walked into place, so. We should say for the folks listening at home, we're at the Revenge of Comics and Pinball Comics Creator Block Party, and we're having a lovely time. Yeah. Revenge of. We're broadcasting live, or we're taping live?

Oh, we're taping live, yeah. Sure. Broadcasting live. So say whatever. Urgency. We'll either edit it out or clip it for socials, depending on how hot it is. Line-line.

Yeah. By the way, on this way out here, Brian whispered to me, I have to follow the jack-off computer. They say never follow kid acts or jack-off computers. Right, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Do what you are.

OK, so I imagine this is probably the first event you've ever participated in at a pinball place, right? Comic book related? Yes. No, we actually, I'm from Portland, Oregon. We're lousy with Arcades like David Mack who's here got became an ordained minister so he could marry Shrek machine the original Shrek machine

It's the Libs get their way Here's a very important story. One of my life partners in comics, Michael E. Van Omming, who created Power is the Murder Inc. with me, he's married to Takisoma, another partner of all of ours, an amazing graphic novelist. They got married. David Mack became an ordained minister, so he could marry them at a retro arcade in Portland.

Because that is what you do. You either get married in a retro arcade or you all dress up as inflatable dinosaurs and treat it very seriously. Either way. So. Do you have a favorite pinball machine? I do, you know, I like the Indiana Jones.

Because it's also, I'm like, you know, stuff you wanted when you were a kid that didn't really exist and now it exists. And you just want to walk around and tell young people, you don't know. Wait, that's why I like the supportive dad pinball. Yeah. Did they go back and make an Indiana Jones?

Yeah, there's a few levels of them. Also, and that's a brag, they made an Ultimate Spider-Man one. I didn't get one. But there is literally like all Bagley and my balloons, it's all our balloons, it's literally hilarious because it's a pinball machine and it just looked like they randomly chose the panel and it's literally like Spider-Man just like kicking Doc Ock in the face and he's going, ow, my eye, which is literally the worst line

of dialogue ever and it's like right there, just like it's the premise of the pinball machine. At least it's not like Peter Parker at the grocery store. You know, or if they picked an action panel. Yeah, it's just, it's so funny. And the surreal life that I live, it's one of those things where every once in a while I walk into a pinball machine.

That's a dream. I do feel like it is like the most supportive dad thing Doc Ock would ever say. Like it's something that your dad would say when he's trying not to wake up the kids walking through the hallway in the dark and he walks into something. Out my eye?

Out my eye, yeah. Ow! Yeah, there's two lines we remember from Spider-Man. With great power comes great responsibility. Out my eye, yeah. Out my eye. That's right, exactly right. If I may, pivot.

Please, please pivot. Please, please pivot. God, please pivot. I love comics. I love graphic novels. I make them, but also I teach them. And I spend a lot of time thinking about the creative journey. It's a big part of it.

And then here you are. I got very excited when I was reading your graphic novel and listening to you on the podcast that we've Instagrammed a little bit. Oh, yeah. So we haven't seen we were both on Scott Ackerman's movie podcast. I love that podcast.

Like, like weirdly, it's unhealthy how much I love it. And and you were you were great and had read your graphic novel. And I really love like people in a multi-hyphenate creative space like you're doing a few things really well, and you can see you're not like. That's not so easy. I would say I'm doing a few things, but thank you.

No, but we've had people enter our space. You're doing some of the things really well. That are trying to like make an IP. There's some kind of IP move, it's kind of annoying. But you're here as a graphic novelist and a collaborator and you're using your lessons learned in other creative spaces and applying them to your graphic novel space is what I took from it. Yeah, no, thank you.

That's totally true. So what did you learn and what didn't you learn? Yeah, so I read Brian's great book before I started writing comics. Hey, babe, you caught one. You got one. It's called Words for Pictures. And like a wonderful, wonderful book. If you like comics at all, whether you're thinking

about writing them or whatever. You are pivoting. You know, I learned to like, I think the main thing that I took away from that book is that like, consider it the artist's show a little bit. Like it is their show and make something that is fun and easy for them to draw. Love that part. I love that it's the artist's show a little bit. Like it is their show and make something that is fun and easy for them to draw. Love that part.

I love that it's the artist's show. Yeah. Like it's the job is so focused on, I must, I'm a slave to this. Yeah. Like make this happen. And if they don't like crowds, don't write a bunch of crowds, you know?

It's that stuff is. I have a good crowd one because I don't mind, like, because also I was an artist for years, so I'm coming at it with a little bit more, I know what I'm asking for. And also there's things I like to draw. I like to draw crowd scenes, it's fun. I just, I like drawing more drucker-like crowd scenes,

like Mad Magazine kind of crowds. And so I always loved it. And so I never ever saw that as me pushing anyone's buttons and then one day I literally rode like an issue with Spider-Man and it was like, I rode exterior, school, day, the bell's just rung and school has let out all the teachers, all the students, all the buses, all the cars, all the pickups, so like, and I-

And there's a Pearl Jam concert right outside the school. But I literally said, there's everyone in Brooklyn is standing in this parking lot and Bagley did it. He drew every single thing I asked for and then the Marger wrote, F.U. Bendis. But I did take the lesson, but I was really happy with the panel. So, yeah, I'll take a look.

I feel like when we talk to somebody who writes comic books, especially somebody who has, you've obviously written monumentally successful characters that you've created, including for the big comic book companies. But I always want to know, what is your favorite calendar man thing that you wrote? Who is the most marginal character

that you were excited to write something for? When I walked into DC Comics, some of the marginal characters were clearly called for. Like Tom King had already planted his flag in certain, that area of space. Kite man's mind, Ben Viss! No, no, but you feel like, but what's good, like I remember there was times where like,

I was at Marvel and Gail Simone was working on a bit. Then I was like, oh, good, someone's doing that bit. That bit's being well-serviced, so you don't even feel competitive. You're just like, oh, good, someone's doing that. So that's literally sometimes. And also those are the kind of things, like when I walked into DC, I said, you know what? This is like this window where you get to write these icons,

stay on path, and I think by issues three on Superman, nuclear man had showed up, and I'm like, I literally couldn't help myself. I really made a note to myself, don't mess around, no Mitzl Plitz, just stay on target, and. Brian, understand, this show is all Mitzl Mitzl-like. No, no, no, but I'm saying, like, I, like, knowing, like, I'm going to do 25 issues of Superman, like, so every page counts.

Everyone's a, you know, precious real estate. You gotta get rid of the pill-like on every page. I get it. And then I immediately went, what if I put nuclear in it? I see. Yeah, yeah. I really show people how old I am and how esoteric these references can get. You know, that's just actually a nice segue into a segment.

I would like you to answer my question that you ignored. So you learned. Oh my gosh, no, I did that. I've not done it, seriously. What's the, like, you like writing for the artist, but what was the thing that was surprising the most that you didn't know? Yeah, I think that like.

Or is that it? That was, I mean, that was a huge thing, and it's something that I, whenever I'm writing a comic, I think about like... Or was that it? Was that the... That was, I mean, that was a huge thing. And I had something that I, whenever I'm writing a comic, I think about that a lot. But yeah, you know, it was a really cool thing about comics that I, is like, it's cool when the art comes back and it's what you saw in your head, but it's really cool when it's not what you saw,

when like they add something. There's something in Youth Group, there's a little scene in Youth Group that I wrote with Zero Spice, and Bone McGurdy, the great Bone McGurdy who drew Youth Group, gives us this expositional scene back, and it is horny as hell. It is so, and this scene that is just, excuse the term, but it's laying pipe,

in a structural way, but this scene laying pipe. In a structural way. But this scene, just because of how everyone is standing and looking at each other, it's so horny. And I'm just like, bravo, pulling out that subtext. I don't know, it's really nice. And so I think when I write something, I like to leave a space to let them cook. I know that's kind of an old meme, but let them cook.

Jordan, the current of horniness is not that deep below the surface for you. Well. No, but it's nice when your partner's on the same, like oh, you get exactly where I wanted to go and then found a new way to do it. I do get that and I've actually had that

with a couple of my partners where a page came in and you went, oh, everything OK at home? Like, it's either way too late. I did not write any of this. Look at all that's happening here. Or something is crazy violent. Like, someone gets shot in the head, and then someone, you can write, show it off panel.

Or someone's brains are flying at you in 360. You're like, OK. Spray it onto some kids that are watching. Sure. Yeah, and that's when you make a you in 360. You're like, oh, great. Spraying onto some kids that are watching, sure. Yeah, and that's when you make a call. You guys doing all right over there? Everything OK? There's a cat eating it off the ground? Wow.

Here's a hotline number. The weirdest moment we had in the horniness thing, not weird, not horny, but is we're doing the thing in powers. And it was when Marvel was publishing it, and the devil with himself was showing up and going to be really mean to Walker, our lead, and he was going to, like, and his junk was out, and it was just like his devil junk was out.

Just classic devil stuff. He was doing stuff with his devil junk, and it was just a very good Mike-ombing thing for him to draw. So then Mike goes and draws like 30 different devil dorks, like devil dongs. So you just have a sheet of dongs. I have a style sheet of dongs.

And we couldn't figure out which one it was. Circumstance. Don't circumcise. Did you ask for alts? No, I did not. That's when I knew we were in a special way. And then I pointed to the one. He sent me a bunch to choose.

And I go, I'll choose that one. And he goes, no, no, that one. I go, well, then do that one. And he goes, OK, but you like that one. And then he emails Joe Casada and says, Joe, which one do you think we should go to? And he wrote back, what the fuck you guys doing? I don't need to approve every penis. I don't want this.

I'm very busy. This is one of my favorite moments in comics. Beautiful. Speaking of obscure characters and their genitalia. There's no genitalia in this thing coming up. I've actually got a quiz based on some of our favorite comic book characters. It is a quiz.

I'm so bad at this. I think you'll do well. It's a quiz called So bad at this. No, you're good. Damn, I'm bad. I think you'll do well. It's a quiz called Comic Book Character, Someone Who Gave Our Podcast a One Star Review, or Some Shit We Made Up. In this quiz, I'm gonna read you three names. One is a comic book character, one is the username of someone who gave our podcast

a one star review on Apple Podcasts, and one is some shit we made up. Brian, you. But you as a comic book writer, do you now go online like Call of Duty. I'm going to call a duty, and I'll say the names. And six of them are better than any name I ever came up with. Honestly, there's some very innovative naming going on

in online shooters. Dr. Marks von Deadpool, that is. I will never come up with something better than that. Yeah. Jesus Christ. I know. So yeah, their secret is to take a regular name and then add 69 or 420. Jesus Christ. That's so sad. So yeah, their secret is to take a regular name and then add 69 or 420.

Hell yeah. So because, Brian, you have a little advantage here, Jesse, as kind of a medium comic book guy, would you say? Yeah. I think that's about right. You have actually a phone a friend lifeline. Somewhere at my mom's house, there's a bunch of Spider-Mans. Hell yeah.

You have a phone a friend lifeline that you can call anytime. This is a comic book expert. How many of these characters are going to be from American Splendor? Because I've read all that. None. I grew up in the American Splendor.

That was Harvey Picker Land is where I grew up. Excellent. OK, so as long as these are just like lonely filing clerks and rude people at the grocery store, where I'm all set. Do we have our Thorn friend? Are you there to help Jesse? Hello, hello?

Can you hear me? Face front, true believers, it's I, Smilin' Stan himself. How is everybody? Wow, Stan Lee. That's Stan Lee. Here to help my good friend, jumpy Jesse Thorn, the jumpinist.

I can't, well so Jesse, you can call on Stan Lee anytime if you need help. This first one's for Brian, we're going to let you see how it goes. Okay, Brian, one of these is a comic book character, one is a username of someone who hates our podcast, the other one is some shit we made up. Okay. A lot of good choices all around. Mike Fantastic, Mr. Terrific, Rear Admiral Handsome. Mr. Terrific is a comic character.

Yes. Handsome is the online name. OK, so are you locking it in? The reviewer. Rear Admiral Handsome. Rear Admiral Handsome, yeah. So you got one right. Mr. Terrific, indeed a comic book character.

Mike Fantastic, someone who hates our podcast, his review was, I find myself annoyed and creeped out. Am I missing something? No, sir. No. By the way, I want to have a little summary of the comic book characters here. And Mr. Terrific's powers are listed

as the third smartest man on Earth. Superpowers, Terrific powers. Coming listed as the third smartest man on earth. Superpowers, terrific powers. Coming soon in James Gunn's Superman. Oh yeah, I hope we see those terrific powers on screen. Is there like a definitive ranking of smartest man? I think in the DC universe, who's smarter than Mr. Terrific? I know Superman is surprisingly up there.

Not surprisingly, people don't think of him, but he's up there. I kind of think of him, but he's up there. I kind of think of him as a dimwit. Yeah. Yeah. He's got street smarts. No, Lex Luthor's up there.

Yeah, I knew the list a couple of years ago. I flushed it. All right, Jesse, this one's for you. OK. Detective Chimp. Huh? Detective Chimp. Mama Monkey.

Mama Monkey. Bobo the Shit Thrower. I'm talking about. Wow. I know this one too. Do you know this one? Brian knows this one. You've written most of these characters.

Okay, I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say, wow, the Shit Thrower, I don't think you can have shit in the name in Apple Podcasts. That's why people are so creative when they think of other words to use to tell us we're hacks.

So I'm going to say- You got any reviews? For this segment, I did. Okay. And shook me- You have to. Shook me worse than Terrifier 3. I'm gonna say that M Mama Monkey is the reviewer.

What Chimp Detective? Detective Chimp. Detective Chimp is the comic book character and the shit thrower. Oh man, I just broke my own logic that I set up. Oh well. Shit Thrower is the Apple person that doesn't like us. You got one right, Jesse.

Detective Chimp is a common chimpanzee who wears a deer stalker cap, a la Sherlock Holmes. He has a superhuman level of intelligence, self-crimes, often with the help of the Bureau of Amplified Animals. I've said it once, I'll say it again, comic books fucking rule. Yeah.

That's actually a very popular character. Yeah, sure. Within the DC fandom. Yeah, well, I mean, it's a fucking champion, of course it's popular. Shit talking shit. Yeah, Mama Monkey, someone who doesn't like our podcast, their review is, turn on your local radio, DJ,

and that's JJ Goh. Don't waste your space on your iPod for this. Because we are always doing traffic and weather. Yeah. And we've been getting negative reviews since the day of the iPod for this. Because we are always doing traffic and weather. And we've been getting negative reviews since the day of the iPod. How about that? Brian, this one's for you.

Bouncing Boy, Bent Maddie, Lil Sticky. Well, Bouncing Boy is from the Legion of Civil Heroes. Debuted in 1934. And what was the other two? Bent Maddie, Lil Sticky. Lil Sticky is the reviewer. Again, one point, Brian. Bouncing Boy is the DC comic of course

in the Legion of Superheroes. Bent Maddie is the one star reviewer. Their review says, could have gone without the 20 minutes of Jizz Talk. Lil little sticky, I suppose. We couldn't have. Gotta feel the show with something. Yeah, I felt really bad about my 45 seconds of devil dong talk, so now I feel better.

You should, yes, you're fine. Jesse, next one's for you, and remember you have your phone a friend. Okay, just to clarify, if I get in trouble, if I'm not sure what to answer, I can call the real ghost of Stanley. Yeah. OK.

Miami Maude. OK. Waldo Weatherby. Right. Nasty Norman, the boy who acts like an uncle. Oh. Oh. Oh.

Oh. Oh. He said, did you do that again? He said, I believe he said, Nasty Norman, the boy who acts like an uncle. The boy who acts like an uncle. That would be like passing out cigars at weddings. Drunk at Christmas.

Christmas. Miami Maude, Waldo Weatherby, nasty Norman, the boy who acts like an uncle. So I think that the boy who acts like an uncle is something that you made up. But Miami Maud and Nasty Norman, was it? I'm not so sure about. So I'm going to call Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man.

The creator of Willy Lumpkin with these names. You want the brain to follow Willy Lumpkin. On the phone, hello, Stan Lee, are you there? I'm here jumping, Jesse. What do you need me for? Happy to be here. Okay, Stan Lee, one of these- From the Amazing Afterlife. Very excitable, Stan Lee, very on brand. It's a spectacular spectral existence of sensational senses shattering phantasms.

I couldn't think of another S. OK. Is he also calling the Seabiscuit race? Yeah. He is. Yeah, who's winning Churchill down, Stanley? Coming around the fourth leg. Stan, Nashdie Norman or Miami Maude, which one of those is a

comic book character and which one of them doesn't like my podcast? And if it helps, just try and imagine someone who likes Jordan but not me because that's all our negative reviews. Well it's a difficult one. You've put before me they both have alliterative names, which means they could both be comic book characters. According to the great law of naming, the first initial of the first name must also be the second initial of the first initial of the second name.

Except in the case of a robot, which can have a one word name. Got it. Thanks for letting us know what alliteration is, Stan. Furthermore, it helps a busy scripter like me remember the names of the characters if they've all got the same letters. I tried to name the Hulk, Mr. Bruce Banner. Originally, his name was Buh-Buh-Buh, Buh-Buh-Buh-Buh-Buh-Buh.

But the printers refused. OK. Got it. What were the names. Okay, you got it. What were the names again? Do you have any suggestions for the game, Stan? So their names are Miami Maude and Nasty Norman. Yeah, third one is Waldo Weatherby. And Waldo Weatherby.

Well, they're all pretty alliterative. Let's see, Wild Waldo Weatherby or No Nonsense Nancy Nasty Wild Waldo Weatherby or No Nonsense Nancy Nasty or Monstrous Miami. Stan, I need help here, I'm a true believer. Well, I don't always look at the competition, but it strikes me that Mr. Weatherby might be an Archie Comics character. Okay.

Again, we're not in competition with them because- We got an enthusiastic head nod from the taciturn gum chewer in the front row. Wonderful. Well, being beyond the veil, I have access to knowledge that I would not have as the publisher and editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics or editor-in-chief and an emeritus of Marvel Comics.

So I know of other companies now. As for Miami Maud, I'm going to say yes. Are you going with Stan? As for Miami Maud, I'm gonna say yes. Great, are you going with Stan? I mean, he's the only guy out there who I know of who maybe made a comic book with Pamela Anderson at some point. It was a cartoon animated program. Okay, thank you.

So I'm gonna go with whatever Stan Lee said, I don't remember, went on for a while. Okay, you can. Stan Lee, actually, Stan, can you actually confirm what your answers were again? I said Waldo Wetherby is a comics character. And then after that, I was, let's say that Miami Maud is an online... That seems like someone who wouldn't like us. Yeah, and that Nasty Norman is a great idea for a book, and I think I'm going to get Don Heck working on it right away. We're not that big in Miami. We're more of a Tallahassee show.

Stan Lee, three for three. Waldo Wetherby, indeed the principal of Archie's High School. Excelsior. That's why he's the man. He is, yeah. Dasty Norman, of course, something we made up in Miami Mod, thinks our show is unbearably childish.

OK. No, very sophisticated. This is the last one. This is from The Marbles. I haven't been keeping track. So just buzz in when you think you know this one. Buzz in by saying your name, and then you're the winner. Sorry, I'm composing a stern email to Miami Mod

about how I have my own NPR show. Thank you. OK, so these are the three names. Gambit. Wait, sorry. Gambit. Gambit, OK. Matter-eater lad.

OK. Tug boy, the tugboat that wished to be a real boy. Okay, I'm buzzing in. Okay. Matter Eater Lad is a comic book guy. Yeah. Oh, he's a comic book lad. Yes.

Legion of Superheroes. Yes. Yeah. Legion of Superheroes have the best names. I included a lot of them in this. Maybe it was a little unfair that Brian Michael Bendis professionally controlled the Legion of Superheroes for a while, I think.

I don't think this was unfair. I'm going to say, OK, so my choices are Matter Eater Lad, Gambit, and Tug Boy, the tugboat that wished to be a real boy. Mm-hmm. Um, I'm going to say, and it sounds like he was halfway there. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha while close to an actual superhero is someone who doesn't like us, tried to type in the name of a superhero as their name, but it was already taken and thus had to add some A's. That is exactly right, Jesse.

Gambit, the online screen name, I did not clip anything from their review because it was too upsetting. Oh, you promised me you're done looking? I am done looking, I'm done, I will never, yes, I will never look at the, you promised me you're done looking. I am done looking. I will never look at the camera. Yes.

Good, good, good advice, Brian. Good advice. Yeah. Brian Michael Bend has been talking to my therapist. Hey, we're going to take a quick break from Revenge of and the live Jordan Jesse Goh because we want to tell you about our new Actua t-shirt. That's right. You know, Actua, that thing that people were saying on the internet for a while?

Well- And we'll be saying long after this once they realize what an amazingly clever joke it is to drive pictures of me and Jordan that look like the comic strip Cathy and then instead of hawk to it, it says act to us. Yes, exactly. This shirt will delight and confuse all who see it. You can also get it on a coffee mug. If you don't want it on a shirt, you can also get it on a coffee mug. If you don't want it on a shirt, you can also get it on a coffee mug.

And there's lots of other great Max Fund merchandise at maxfundstore.com, including other great Jordan, Jesse, Go merchandise. So go to maxfundstore.com and satisfy all of your holiday needs. La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la It's the help of Stanley. Yeah. It just so happens that over there by Stanley's Ghosts happens to be sitting one of our favorite pals. He's one of the hosts of the Smash Hit podcast, The Flophouse.

He's the writer and executive producer of Netflix's upcoming series, Ghostbusters, and the newest writer of DC's Harley Quinn. Please welcome Elliot Kalen. Yay! Yay! Thanks. Thanks. Thank you.! Thanks. Thank you.

Thank you. Hi Elliot. Hi. How are you, friend? I'm great, I was just hanging out with Stanley's ghost. Isn't that amazing? It was amazing, he's so upbeat. Yeah.

I really. Particularly given the circumstances. Well, he's just happy to be wherever. Sure. He's just a people pleaser, you know. He loves trivia. He loves trivia. Cheers, he's just happy to be wherever. He's just a people pleaser. He loves trivia. He loves trivia. He loves trivia.

Ellie, as someone who does podcasts but also writes comics, do you have an answer to Brian's question of, like, what the surprising thing was? Yeah, I was literally going to ask you the same thing. Oh, wow. I should have been thinking about an answer. And also, like, you have different mediums that you're working in and have lessons from the other mediums amplified your comic book experience in a way that surprised you.

I think it did actually. And the comic book experience vice versa amplified in a way that I was surprised at how fungible, if that's the correct way of using that word, the skills from- No one knows what that word means. Oh, for goodness sake. I say it's as if it was fungus. Not even the creator of Bitcoin. No one knows what it means.

How transferable the skills from joke writing especially, but television writing in general were to comics, and then vice versa, that if I'm writing a scene for a television show, I will often break it down as a comics page as a way of choosing what the most important moments are that I need to hit in that scene and cut out because it's very easy to just write pages after pages of hilarious dialogue and then you look at it and you're like, this scene can't be 17 pages long and if I think of it

as a series of five panel pages, then I can pick out those moments because that was the thing about comic writing that I think I only knew consciously once I started writing them was how much of it is about picking out exactly the right moment that you need to have depicted for you. And everything that you guys were talking about earlier about the artist kind of making it their own in a really good way, in a great way, was part of it too. Right now in Harley Quinn, I'm working with this artist, Mindy Lee, and I love working with her. And she, I'll write a script and I'll be like,

here you go, here's a great script. And she's like, so. Do you like write that on a post-it? I write a post-it, I write. Great script incoming. I say, great script, no notes welcome. And then. FYI, script is great.

And she'll email me and she'll say, when Harley is saying this, like, how does she mean it? What is she thinking? And it forces me to really articulate what is the emotion that I was going for there. And I don't want to write, I mean, I try not to write Alan Moore style scripts where it's in incredible detail

because I want the person, the artist, to have the freedom to interpret it. You should grow a wizard beard though. My children agree with you. They say every day, whenever I person, the artist, to have the freedom to interpret it. You should grow a wizard beard, though. My children agree with you. They say every day, whenever I shave, they go, but we want you to grow a big bushy beard. And my younger son has now started wearing lots of rings on his hands for post Halloween,

so another Alan Moore thing. But that she will say to me, well, when Harley says this, like, exactly why is she saying it? What's her feeling? And I'll have to articulate that for her. And it just shows me, it's very humbling to me how much thought she's putting into each of these images when I am not always putting as much thought into each of those images as she is, you know.

I should be. That's actually amazing. That's been, also that's a great question again from a collaborator. That's the best. That means they're really emotionally invested in the journey. So that's great. But that makes, I mean, that comports with your previous experience.

I remember you telling me that when you were working on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart would often ask you what feeling he was having. He would say, but that was all off-camera stuff. That was it. What is love? He's not young. Oh.

I've got to explain it to you, Jon. Jon Stewart is an android. Yes, yes. What does he say? We have a bit coming up we want to do on merchandise. I want to ask Brian, as someone who signs things at cons, other than comic books, do people bring all kinds of crazy things? No, I love, absolutely, I love it.

That was the best part of today. Tell me more. Does someone brings you something that I've never seen before, something they made themselves, or just, you know, yeah, it's incredible. I've signed pets. There's a... Wait, what kind of pets? Oh, I signed, there's a...

It was my social media thing for a while, me signing a dog. It was a little dog. And I'm a little dog person now. I have little chihuahuas, so it's doubly insane to me that this happened. But it's also, someone took a picture of me signing the dog.

And do you remember that movie, Bessie Show, the Christopher Guest movie, that right at the end they freeze it at the dog looking right at the camera like, enough of this shit. The dog does that in the picture of me signing the dog. The dog's looking right in the lens going, the fuck. I'm not even a Marvel guy. That dog was graded at a 9.8.

Wait, how do you even, I'm sorry that I'm getting caught up in the logistics here, but. It's understandable. Dogs are made of fur, how do you sign one? Sharpies. Okay, yeah. Like one of those silvers, like a metallic sharpies. Cospo, what are they called, the new paint pens, yeah. Got it.

I can sign anything you bring. I was sure you were going to say iguana or snake or something with a harder surface. Yeah, it's truly lovely. Everything about this, it's all just people trying to find a way to express a positive feeling that they had about a story they read or a character. It's just a vibe they want to keep going.

And we all know that feeling. So to be part of someone's, like a stranger's, that's the best, it's incredible. Yeah, and also, we spend most of our time alone in a room, not talking to anybody about my closest family. The best thing about today has been leaving my house. Yeah, no, so this is an unusual day for me to come out here and have such a lovely experience

with people signing stuff, not to get too mushy, but I just wanted to express to people. No, get mushy, we love it. It is, it's wonderful. We don't go from store to store just going, hey, it's mostly a very solitary thing where you're trying to figure it out, so to have this be the result is love. It is. It's wonderful.

It really is. I just I just got back from the last leg of the Judge John Hodgman tour and when you in the Judge John Hodgman live shows. That's great show. And the Judge John Hodgman. The Judge John Hodgman live shows tend to attract precocious children. Because you have that guy playing the flute that draws them out. It takes them to where Jesse? Where are these children going? Yeah. But like only like super, super smart neurodivergent children.

So it's like nine year olds that are carrying briefcases. And we had a signing after a show, and this wonderful child who we had talked to during the show and was fantastic came up, and he brought each of us like a little satchel full of curated vintage items, like, you know, like mahjong tiles and like little tiny metal airplanes and like just a little

Satchel and I just thought It went as he handed it to me. I looked inside and thought uh-oh. I think he has my soul now It's alright you'll do something good with it Well, yeah on on on that note. We want to play a game based on comic book. Oh, yes Did you have merch stuff? Oh, yeah merch like just talk or anything bring anything good not today. I tend to Know it's no one's that interested in my work that they make much. No, it's so I get merch I get much at Flophouse shows hey Maniac for your work

Famously bankrupt aftershock comics. They, they, they, uh. Are they officially? They've been, they've been in proceedings for a long time. I get my, every, every couple weeks I get my notice in the mail that the proceedings continue, so. Welcome to comics. Yeah, yes.

The, to be honest, it's like, I feel like I'm a real, I'm finally a real comics professional, that I'm like dealing with a company that, that can't pay its bills. It's like, I feel like I'm a real, I'm finally a real comics professional, but I'm like dealing with a company that can't pay its bills. It's amazing. It happened to us too. We all, my generation, David Mack, we all came up through a company called Caliber. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

We were all there together making stuff and we're like, what happened to this? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. But at Flophouse shows, people come by and they like to make shirts a lot that reference Flophouse things. But I've yet to shows, people come by and they like to make shirts a lot that reference Flophouse things.

But I've yet to see, someday I want to see someone dressed as my character Maynard Harry from Maynard in New York and I've yet to see it. And you just have to take a Jason costume and change it a little bit. You know, it's not that much work everybody, but someday maybe. You know? Well, yeah. On the subject of merch, we're going to do a quick game and this is going to be Elliot versus Brian.

This is called the sniff off. That's right, the sniff off. Given the popularity of cosplay, we know people like to look like their favorite pop culture characters. Oh, I should have read the French on this one. But apparently they want to smell like them too. There's a surprising amount of superhero themed body watches out there. I'm going to present a superhero themed body wash. You're going to smell it and tell me who it's supposed to be. And Steven, I think we're just going to do, Steven Ray Morris, by the way,

is gonna be bringing up the body washes. And I think given the time, let's just, let's do one, two, and three. We'll do, oh sorry, one, two, and five. One, two, and five. So we're smelling this fine gentleman? Yeah, he's gonna bring you up a cup. Oh, okay, I thought he'd tell us himself.

He smells great, by the way. So this is the first one we'll. And just so we get some audience prizes in here. Ellie, do you wanna pick an audience member to play for? And Brian Do you want to pick an audience member to play for and Brian do you want to pick an audience member to play for? And the winner will get a autographed copy of Archie's pops chocolate shop of horrors fresh meats and Archie comics Anthology that I have a story and you wrote for yeah Amazing yeah, pretty cool Okay dudes which dudes you pointing at

fleece vest and the sweatshirt. Okay, you guys will, I'm gonna play for that guy who raised his hand, which saved me the trouble of deciding. Actually, also pick a second guy, because I have two comics. Okay, yes, other guy who raised his hand. Okay, great, done. Alright, so this is literally, I have no worries about smelling stuff, I have no worries about talking in public. You asked me to make a decision, in which I have no factors whatsoever to base it on. Look, they say that-

Is there an optimal choice on this? No, but I can offer a hint. Elliot, they say the two greatest fears for people are public speaking and picking a guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm sorry. Just imagine the guy in his underwear. Mm-hmm.

You're calling a friend? You know what? Is Stan Lee, is Stan Lee turned around? Let's see if we can get him. Hold on. You gotta go to the bathroom? Yes. Oh, there's someone at the door.

Let me go answer that. Oh, hello, everybody. Wow. I'm back down. Fresh off the streets of Cleveland, it's me, Harvey it's uh. Wow. I'm back. Fresh off the streets of Cleveland it's me Harvey Picar. Wow. My old friend Harvey I used to tell you this you gotta put some soups in this one put some costumes and then also some actual bowls of soup. Uh let's go Elliot do you have a guess first? That was Harvey Picar. Um I mean it just smells.

This is a character from Marvel Comics. Oh. That you actually both have some experience with. So not Wood God, who I've never written, but would love to someday. So for me that's everybody but Ghostman. Wood God is kind of like a Sader or Pan type character who briefly existed in the 70s then ran away. Back to the woods. I'm going to logically go with Scarlet Witch.

Elliot, do you have a guess? I'm going to say Spider-Man, because that's someone they would make merchandise for. Elliot, you're absolutely right. That is Spider-Man at Bathwash. The description is, captures the notes of Spider-Man whisking through the skyline. Notes of crisp air and green leaves.

But they're literally merging everything. Yeah, that's true everybody That's how I could tell it was spider-man because I can see it and it looks like the jizz that he shoots from his hands It does look like a tiny cup of jizz for those folks. I don't appreciate that mode of talking and describing my characters From his hand it so this is, yeah, it just kind of, I mean, it smells like a body wash I could see Peter Parker using, but I don't. Sam. Steven, you bring up body wash number two.

Wap out, same color, so it's well hidden. It's so funny, because they're in little cups, so I always assume it's gonna be liquidy, but instead it's very jelly, because it's like a body wash. And this is another Marvel Comics character. Hulk. Bendis is the, wow! Why did I need to say Hulk so quick?

Bendis has smelled Hulk. Go with my gut. My secret, I'm always fresh. I'm going to say Thor. Oh, I'm sorry. Neither of you are right. That is Black Panther. Black Panther. Deep clean to remove dirt and grime neither of you are right. That is Black Panther. Black Panther.

Deep clean to remove dirt and grime without over drying. Coconut-dried. Black Panther is also not overdried. That's true. Famously. This is repurposed, Hulk. All right, it's time for our final, final one. Number five.

I mean, the thing is that the smells are so distinctive from each other, too. Right. They are not the same thing with a new label on it. Not at all. And by the way, if anybody wants these bath washes, I am going to be out signing books from four to five. And the first...

He's willing to squirt some on you. I'll squirt some on you. The first five people to come up and buy a book will receive the balance of these superhero-themed body washes. This one, I think, is Tobey Maguire. So actually, I did order one that did not come. Excuse me. Did you guys not take the note from the comment

that was made about you online? I'm leaning in. Again, we got an hour to fill, Elliot. I ordered a Deadpool that did not arrive in time, and probably a good thing too. There's a lot of fourth walls in here. So This is actually just a different celebrity who I would say is a modern-day superhero Who is endorsing his product that I got from right? So this is the rock

Okay, Elliot, so it's not an actual superior. It's a celebrity who I would say is a modern superhero. Oh I was just Walgreens or something. I saw a big rock and a big bunch of moisturizer stuff. And I was like, should I get it? I'm going to go with the only real life superhero, Super Dave Osborne. Oh, I'm sorry. This is actually Michael Strahan's neck moisturizer.

Just the neck. That was the next guy. So close. Have you seen his moist neck on Good Morning America? This guy's neck. Neck, nose, and neck, guys. So close. Seed his moist neck on Good Morning America. This guy's neck is so moist. It is very moist, yeah. Well, yeah, Elliot, since you got one point, your two players will win the Archie comic book.

Please come up and find me at George to get your book. And I think that's it for our show, right? This has been Elliot Kalin and Brian Michael Bendis. We're so grateful to both of you. This is my friend Jordan Morris. I'm Jesse Thorne. This show is Jordan and Jesse Goh. Thank you so much for being here, and good afternoon.

Yeah! Thank you! Thank you! Great! I love you and kiss you and love you. Love you. Love you. Love you.

Love you. Love you. I do love you.