Something Clever

For the last two years, one graphic novel has been the source of controversy and censorship in the United States of America. Young audiences all over have been gravitating toward the deeply personal and frank discussions of self and exploration that is Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer: A Memoir.

Join Behind the Yellow Boxes as Steph and Brook explore the controversial graphic novel, return to their opinions on censorship and book bans, and provide a brief overview of the story within.

For more information about current book bans as well as advice on what you can do to battle censorship in your community, visit bit.ly/GenderQueerbans

We’re on patreon! Support us at patreon.com/yellowboxespodcast

Follow us on twitter @yellowboxespod, email us at yellowboxespodcast@gmail.com, and find our full show notes over at yellowboxespodcast.blogspot.com.

Feelin’ Good Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Okay?

Since 1984, one franchise has been a solid part of nearly every generation of children the world over, and it all started with a little indie comic that only published 3,000 copies!  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been an unparalleled force in multiple genres and has remained a stable in comic publishing for 40 years! So for the 50th episode of the Behind the Yellow Boxes podcast, Steph and Brook have invited some former guest stars to join them in talking about the Mean Green Fighting Machines!

Along with a review of the first Mirage Comics issue of TMNT and a history of the creators, the podcast crew will discuss multiple adaptations, thoughts on the franchise as a whole, and a whole lot of personal Turtle love throughout the years. 

 We’re on patreon! Support us at patreon.com/yellowboxespodcast

Follow us on twitter @yellowboxespod, email us at yellowboxespodcast@gmail.com, and find our full show notes over at yellowboxespodcast.blogspot.com.

Feelin’ Good Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Maybe I’m just a notoriously cranky gay lady or something, but there’s something really weirdly funky about how an officially published reference book like today’s DC Book of Pride comes out and without much fanfare has some curiously sanitized edits of many important character’s histories.

These histories are often messy and difficult, but being honest with them serves two purposes. For one, the characterization and history in-universe of the character are built off of those things, you don’t understand things like Hartley Rathaway’s decisions and quirks without knowing how being gay and negative reactions to him being gay shaped him.

On the other hand it’s also vital many times to real life queer history -- these stories become little parables of the struggle of this community over time. We become attached to these characters and stories because through the mess and the pain, we see our own struggles and capacity for triumph. Kate Kane being kicked out of West Point for living her truth, Renee Montoya going through the harassment and terror of being forcefully outed -- those aren’t just the character’s stories, those are our stories. We get comfort and encouragement out of them.

But maybe even more importantly and downplayed right now because it’s all but hidden inside the text of the reference book itself is the fact that they have, out of nowhere, seemingly completely retconned the family history of Alan Scott, Todd Rice, and Jennie-Lynn Hayden. 

Alan was not aware he had children. Their mother, without Alan’s knowledge, put Todd and Jennie both up for adoption. They both endured a lot of trauma and pain as a result that completely altered the course of their lives and, especially for Todd, is VITAL to understanding his character and behavior once the narrative picks back up with them in their teenage years, when Alan finally meets them. 

It’s also, by the way, why they all have different surnames. 

But apparently, out of the blue, this reference book has decided to inform us that this history no longer exists? This is DEVASTATING for Todd’s history in particular. I’m not sure how to reconcile this?

idk man. If you’re going to be a reference book, maybe make sure you’re clear about what the continuity of everything is first?

Brook and Steph travel through the storied legal history of a fallen comics publishing giant, Fawcett Comics, during their quest to untangle the name of a popular DC comics hero. As they do so, they discuss the American legal system, international copyright, and the pitfalls of licensing intellectual property. All the while, they share their love and fascination with comic's Mightiest Mortal!

So how DID Captain Marvel lose his name? Join the podcast and find out! 

We’re on patreon! Support us at patreon.com/yellowboxespodcast Follow us on twitter @yellowboxespod, email us at yellowboxespodcast@gmail.com, and find our full show notes over at yellowboxespodcast.blogspot.com. Feelin’ Good Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Our comic reviewing duo take time to visit one of their favorite creators in this episode visiting the world of Stumptown! Following the lovably fallible private detective Dexedrine "Dex" Parios to her stomping grounds of Portland, Oregon, Brook and Steph discuss the indie comic scene as well as mystery and noir comics in general, as well as the history and strengths of one of their mutual favorite comic creators.

This episode touches on subjects in noir fiction including portrayals of addiction and detectives who love getting their asses kicked.

We’re on patreon! Support us at patreon.com/yellowboxespodcast Follow us on twitter @yellowboxespod, email us at yellowboxespodcast@gmail.com, and find our full show notes over at yellowboxespodcast.blogspot.com.

Feelin’ Good Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Starting off the New Year just right, Brook and Steph return! This time our comic duo tackles the long, complicated, and sometimes unfortunate history of Black Adam! What sorts of influences did the the comics provide for the recent DC film, and how many tangents can they go on when it comes to the Captain Marvel Family? The answer to both is many! 

This episode contains brief discussions of racial caricatures and bad Egyptopology.

We’re on patreon! Support us at patreon.com/yellowboxespodcast Follow us on twitter @yellowboxespod, email us at yellowboxespodcast@gmail.com, and find our full show notes over at yellowboxespodcast.blogspot.com.

Feelin’ Good Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

I'm hoping for the best because, honestly, I've not been enjoying any Superfam content in several years now and I miss having a good Superman story to read, so first and foremost I'm always looking forward to someone doing something good with the property.

But yeah. I would be lying if I didn't say that reading the announcements and seeing the designs for the twins didn't fill me with this certain anxiety and longing I've always had for Chris Kent. I miss him so much.

That's something that's always difficult to get used to as a comic fan -- that wanderlust for the unmet potential for so many good characters and stories. Heck, I've been reading comics for over twenty years and I still haven't internalized the fact! lol

Interesting piece of work our dear mr. gardner <3

if they were real i would be afraid of them: I like Guy a LOT but I am also a hothead who wants to fight at the drop of a hat, especially with a few drinks in me so I am very afraid of how we’d end up duking it out if we met for real lol

why do they look like that: I have so many questions about the character design for Guy Gardner and almost all of them begin and end with “why” but the REAL question, the MAIN question, is what sinister magic was at play to make all these choices that I hate independently work so well together? Like I am so attached to Guy’s iconic look EVEN THE BOWL CUT to an inexplicable degree. It’s wonderful.

they work better as part of a dynamic: I honestly am most interested in Guy in his roles as part of a team (JLI, Super Buddies), his role as a member of the Green Lantern Corps, or even just as the friend/foil for characters like Hal or John or Kyle. I didn’t really have any interest in Guy before I really got to see him work in these contexts and now I just love him and miss him when he’s replaced — like Justice League: Generation Lost gooddddd I wish that Guy had been there.

A good friend, a constant friend, a person who shares a fixation and I love them for it :P

they are soooooo cool looking: One of the best character designs for comics, and I stand by that firmly. the modern suit is legitimately one of my favorite costumes of all time. And I like that his in-universe good looks are like a hugely important part of his character that effects things throughout his entire storyline? idk it's refreshing in a universe full of characters who are impeccably good looking and we're meant to just accept it that this is something that regularly gets commented on for him.

not as deep as they seem: NOW BEFORE ANYONE RIOTS, I spent a long period of time debating between this one and "they're deeper than they seem" bc that's kinda the rub of it. On his face, Booster is a deceptively simple character who doesn't seem to be anything other than a glory hound. BUT IN TRUTH. Booster is a genuine hero who is secretly a superhero saving the timeline and correcting things behind the scenes, as the tagline says, The Greatest Hero You've Never Heard Of. But then, going straight pas the facade.... Booster is a himbo who is a superhero pretty boy who DOES want the good things in life but also he's got to follow the rules and do the right thing bc he's the heroic archetype. And I love that? I love that something so simple can be so powerful and have so much story and character relationships and everything else flow out from that. It's great!

why do they look like that: no but seriously he's SUPER pretty.

Lu <3 You always know the right characters to ask~

My beloved and special boy, my favorite little man, my precious <3

wasted potential: This is probably the most painful part of this particular prompt. Chris Kent, of all the characters I have loved over the years with wasted potential, has probably the largest amount of wasted potential. And I mean this specifically with his original context -- ever since DC Rebirth, and maybe even a little bit before but especially since then, stories featuring “Chris” (or, more accurately “Lor-Zod”) have reinvented a completely different character to tell stories about rather than talk about the stories left on the table for Chris. It’s been so discouraging especially since the original story he had was SO unique and SO powerful

they're deeper than they seem: Chris had so much going on that people don’t really see on their first introduction to him. Like ah yes, a Kryptonian child who is the child of super villains — which to be clear is the only part of him that modern writers seem interested in and is why we’re seeing such horrible versions of him lately. But the original Chris, the real Chris, was a look at children who rise above the abuse they endured in childhood. And it’s not because he’s inherently some saintly presence or knows what to do. He’s able to prove himself good and powerful because he was rescued and shown love and goodness from people who took him in. It’s a story about the importance of families who step up, who foster, who adopt. I just love it.

didn't get enough screen time: This is self-explanatory, but we were absolutely ROBBED of more time with Chris, more time with Lois and Clark as his parents, more time of the deconstruction of childhood trauma/abuse that had only just begun. There are more appearances than people think — I especially like the comics written by Kurt Busiek featuring Chris — but we really deserved more of Chris as he was. Not aged up, not completely transformed into mini-Zod. And ugh it kills me.

I want to carry them in a handbag like a tiny dog: Also extremely self-explanatory. Chris is a precious boy. I will carry him around forever.

they've never done anything wrong in their life <33: Again, throw out everything post-New52 and the TRUE Chris has never done a single wrong thing in his life. Never forget the story of a boy who knew nothing but the abusive life inflicted on him, was welcomed into the loving arms of his foster family, had his world opened up to the idea that he was worth more and that he could be more, and stood firm for his better reality. He is precious. His story is needed. And I love him so much.

I’ve wanted to do one of these six fanarts challenges for ages and finally used this fall break to try it out! I have to thank my pals on discord for volunteering six characters to draw! I’ll definitely need to do more of these challenges in the future~