Opinions May Vary

There might be more here later. Maybe. It depends on how exhausted I am because I'm literally about to run out the door to watch some of the best people I know get married to each other. (Congrats Hannah & Will!)

But, we figured since it's the end of the year it would be a good time to put together a fun compilation of our Year 6 b-sides. So that's exactly what Alex did and that's exactly what you're about to listen to. Happy new year, ya'll. Be safe out there.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 12.29.2018_Episode_354.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 11:13am EST
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Our last episode before the holiday festivities begin (and probably 2nd to last episode of the year?) featured an artist that we recently started following after a simple Inktober piece popped up on an Instagram feed. A few months and many more amazing art posts later, we had the privilege of talking with the Kentucky-based artist herself: Tressa Bowling.

A lifelong artist and designer, Tressa has had work featured in projects like "Kentucky Kaiju", "Cash & Carrie", and her own webcomic "Dracullama". She's a veteran of the Kentucky/Ohio comic convention scene and currently spends a ton of time engaging with her fans via her Patreon community.

This week Tressa gave us a rundown of her beginnings in the art world, a crash course in running a Patreon, and a lesson in basic United States geography. Check out some of her social media platforms HERE, and HERE and click the links above for some webcomic and Patreon goodness.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 12.20.2018_Episode_353.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 1:05am EST
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There's a lot that I want to say about the new Smash Brothers game and most of it is positive and most of it is probably pretty expected. But I'm bad at writing and also I'm leaving for Boston in an hour to go see Ingrid Michaelson sing Christmas songs for a few hours which should prove to be pretty neat.

I did manage to get some thoughts out on the new Smash Brothers during the episode, though. So at least there's that. This week we're diving head first into the deep end of the FGC pool as we chat with our resident "Fighting Game Expert" Ken (Yes, that Ken. Of Local Co-Op fame). With the Capcom Cup upon us, the new Smash Brothers getting released, and SonicFox winning eSports the player of the year award....we had plenty to discuss.

I gotta go, tho. It's time go get hella festive up in Boston.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 12.12.2018_Episode_352.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 3:57pm EST
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I love that I don't have to use photobucket for this anymore.

Our 2018 convention gauntlet has come to an end and through all the ups and downs I'd have to say we had a pretty great year of cons. While we may have missed out on one or two of our usual shows, we did get a chance to check out some new ones in their place. In the past it was almost always NYCC that put the metaphorical bow on our convention schedule but the last two years has seen the new PAX Unplugged show take over that responsibility and I think it's doing a spectacular job so far.

Last year's inaugural Unplugged recap was packed with stories of my wife and me making our way to an unknown city with the intent of attending as many panels and seeing as many games as possible only to become mildly obsessed with the Omegathon and the local Reading Terminal Market. Long story short: It was different and amazing.

This year my wife bestowed the honor of "dealing with Jr at a convention" over to our great pal Colin as we made our way back down to the city where they greased up the light poles that one time. Much fun was had. Many games were played (about 100% more than last year). And our hearts were broken as an unsung hero went down in flames before he had a chance to shine.

Listen to the recap. It might make sense to you later.

Oh, and I took some pictures while we were there. Check out the photo album HERE.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 12.6.2018_Episode_351.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 10:06pm EST
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I'm heading out to Philly in about 9 hours for PAX Unplugged so I apologize in advance for the brevity of this post. I'll spare you the usual fanfare and fluff and get right down to business:

We actually followed up on a promise this week and we're very proud of ourselves. Back in June we had the pleasure of speaking with cosplayer Raymond Ramos and after getting to maybe half of the topics we actually wanted to talk about it, was quickly decided we needed to talk to this man again sometime.

Today is that sometime. The man known as "Cosplay Ray" was generous enough to give us even more of his valuable time so we could talk his ear off about cosplay, conventions, rising above criticism and tons more. If you missed out on his first appearance be sure to check that out HERE.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 11.28.2018_Episode_350.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 8:10pm EST
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In the 6 years we've been doing this we've had some missed connections. Sometimes a guest just doesn't pan out or maybe we couldn't get the timing quite right and eventually the idea falls apart. It happens. It's a part of the game (you know, that podcast game that apparently exists or something). At the end of the day these episodes aren't gonna make themselves so we just have to move on.

This week we thought it would be neat to kind of "revisit" some of those connections that never actually happened. I mean they were things we wanted to show you anyway...so why not talk about them, right?

Sounds fun. Also I spent a good amount of time complaining about a small, not-required subquest of a nearly perfect videogame. And that's always a good time.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 11.24.2018_Episode_349.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 11:45am EST
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Our dear friend Ryan Vella is back in action this week and, this might shock you, we're talking about video games. Specifically video games played at the competitive level. You know, that level that we could only dream of achieving no matter how hard we play yet it seems like it just comes naturally to these 18-23 year olds? That's the one.

For those looking for some deep dives on the current Fortnite meta and the insane success Epic Games has been having....you've come to the wrong place. I think between the 3 of us we have a grand total of maybe 10 games of Fortnite under our belts so it's probably better if we stay away from that one. We have, however, played some Overwatch. And Vella has played some League. So we're going to talk about those games instead and attempt to sound like we know what we're talking about.

Business as usual.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 11.16.2018_Episode_348.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 10:45am EST
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This week we have artist Marc Lapierre in the studio and we're pretty excited about it for a few reasons: First, Marc is a rad artist and Alex and I never tire of talking with rad artists. Probably has something to do with the whole "we wish we could do what you can do" thing. Also they tend to be great people in general. Second: Marc is the artist of the webcomic "The SuperFogeys" and along with writer Brock Heasley they've managed to put out 700+ comics over the years. Now, it appears, it is time to start collecting these comics in the form of a book. Enter: The Kickstarter. 

With just a few days left the 'Fogeys crew has smashed their goal and are now working on unlocking those sweet stretch goals. You can check out the campaign HERE and if you like what you see you can also check out Marc's Instagram page HERE.

We hope you dig this week's episode. Huge thanks to Marc for sacrificing his crisp New England Saturday and spending the afternoon with us and hopefully we'll be able to chat with him again soon!

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 11.10.2018_Episode_347.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 8:25pm EST
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Will and Jon are both guests this week and I can't think of a better way to close out the spooky season than to have two of the spookiest people I know on for a chat.

Seeing as it's currently Halloween we tried to cram as much spooky content into one episode as possible. I think we did a pretty decent job since the next hour or so of your life is about to be consumed by terrifying ghost stories, childhood Halloween memories, and more random facts about "Devil's Night" than you ever cared to learn about.

Huge shout-out to all the guests who came on over the last month and made time to talk to a couple of dummies who like scary things. We hope you're able to finally get some rest now that the season has come to an end. Plus, all the Halloween stuff goes on sale tomorrow, right? Gotta rest up for them deals.

Happy Halloween, ya'll.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 10.31.2018_Episode_346.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 8:08pm EST
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Brett is arguably one of the most talented people we know. The guy can draw, dance, beatbox, and sing. He's an accomplished martial artist, he's done stunts in both film and live action shows. He can act, he can model, and at the end of the day he's one of the best friends you could ask for.

He also knows a shocking amount of information about the mysterious "Mothman". Apparently, it's more than just a movie from 2002 that you watched with your friend 15 years ago that you still don't fully understand to this day. Apparently, it's a lot more than that. And seeing as we're coming to the end of our spooky month of madness we saw it as the perfect excuse to stick a microphone in Brett's face for the ten-millionth time.

I'm almost positive he didn't mind.

Anyway, Brett is back this week. And he's teaching us about the extremely spooky legend of The Mothman.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 10.27.2018_Episode_345.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 3:57pm EST
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We're three episodes deep into spooky month and this week I got to do one of my favorite things: Watch Alex talk shop with a fellow spooky creator. Over the years we've had a variety of actors and artists on and usually at some point the conversation will develop into Alex and our guest trading secrets, comparing notes, and admiring each other's work.  It's fascinating. A few years ago our friend Bil dropped the phrase "Many Haunts, One Family" on us and every year we find out just how right he was.

With that said, today we have a rad episode for you because we were joined by Bay Area-based special effects makeup artist Nina Zepeda. A Fright Fest veteran and student of Face Off winner Nicole Chilelli, Nina is an insanely talented artist creating monsters and demons out west alongside our good friend and OMV alum Will. A quick glance over her Instagram page and you'll see what we're talking about: Nina is very good at making terrifying things.

Check out this week's episode as we learn about chance encounters at Barnes & Noble bookstores, the best brands of Air Brush, and working alongside Good Charlotte.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 10.18.2018_Episode_344mp3.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 11:35am EST
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Ok. Yes. We're late. Just gonna call it out, own it, provide excuses and move on.

Remember last week how I was bragging about watching Toy Story and drinking tea after NYCC? Yeah, that came right around and got the best of me because it turns out the entire time I was watching Toy Story and drinking tea there was a sickness festering inside of my body only to reveal itself the following day and torture me throughout the rest of the week. Alex, being the merciful man he is (don't tell him I said that), let me take it easy for a few days to recover which sadly meant that last week's episode was delayed until....now.

But there is good news because we have a rad new episode for you featuring author David Kann and to sweeten the pot you're going to get another episode at the end of the week. How rad is that?

Anyway, let's not get ahead of ourselves. David Kann joined us this week. He's a veteran filmmaker, producer, and prop master who also authored the Kickstarter-funded "Lovecraft P.I." graphic novel. Alex met David a few months back at a local show, had the chance to exchange pleasantries, and snagged some of David's wares. Soon after it was decided David and his work would be a perfect fit for our spooky month and now here we are.

If David's brand of spooky works for you check out the website HERE and the other website HERE and do the rest of the usual routine: follow on the social mediums, say hi in person, throw money etc etc.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 10.15.2018_Episode_343.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 9:08pm EST
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NYCC was yesterday and even though we just did the one day my entire body hurts down to its core. I spent the vast majority of my Saturday watching all three Toy Story movies in a row while sipping on tea and I have to admit it was pretty great. Everything still hurts and I have aches in places that I didn't know could ache but my Pixar pals helped make things better.

With that said, we have a very fun show for you this week. If you've noticed the date recently, it is now October and obviously that means it's time to get spooky. This year we're kicking it off with a couple of the cast members of the upcoming Exit 7 Players production of Sweeney Todd: Monique and Stephanie!

After the incredible success of last year's Addams Family performances we jumped at the chance to feature some Exit 7 cast members again especially once we heard they were doing another spooky show in Sweeney Todd. For those fortunate enough to be in the area and want to check out a showing, CLICK HERE to see about some tickets. A word to the wise, though: Get them sooner rather than later. They tend to go fast and you won't want to miss out.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 10.2.2018_Episode_342.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 9:55pm EST
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If you follow us on any of the various social mediums you probably noticed we were spamming you pretty hard with links a few days ago. We apologize for the spam. Just know that it was justified in the fact that we got to try something new with a good friend of ours. If you happened to click on any of those links you'll know what I'm talking about but for those still in the dark here's a rundown:

Three years ago we first talked with artist Tony Moy after tabling a few spots down from him at Boston Comic Con. He came on the show, fun was had, much rejoicing. Seeing as it had been some time since we last talked we thought it would be neat to catch up. Tony agreed and also had the idea of streaming the interview live on his fancy Twitch channel so we figured what the hell. What's the worst that could happen? We say something stupid? Embarrass ourselves live in front of a bunch of people? No way. We've been doing this for too long to make rookie mistakes like that!

Famous last words, amirite?

Nah we kid. We had a blast and we can't thank Tony and his fans enough for the opportunity to entertain in a live environment. Be sure to check out his Twitch channel HERE and maybe toss a follow/sub his way. Until then, check out our talk with Tony as we catch up and find out what he's been up to these last 3 years.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 9.27.2018_Episode_341.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 10:23pm EST
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Ok.

Let's talk about Mandy.

-Jr

Direct download: 9.21.2018_Episode_340.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 2:16pm EST
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I don't own the largest collection of convention sketches by any means and in recent years getting sketches by artists at conventions has taken a backseat to other "more important" things like "food" and "a mortgage". And after buying a house I had to make some decisions as to what sketches will go up on the walls and what sketches will be archived in my portfolio. Some decisions were harder than others; but one of the easiest ones was the sketch Tom Raney drew for me from Boston Comic Con a few years back. I mean look at this thing:

Logan

It's beautiful. And it deserves to be displayed. 

With all that said we have some exciting stuff for you this week because Tom Raney himself gave us some time out of his busy schedule and let us do what we do best: Ask weird questions and gush over his talents.

You can check out Tom and his work on the various social mediums and even better there's a good chance you'll be able to see him at a convention near you (Hint: He's going to be at NYCC in a few weeks). Don't miss out!

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 9.13.2018_Episode_339.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 8:42pm EST
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We don't talk politics much. That's intentional for a few reasons: mostly because we like to think our show is an escape from all the terrible things going on in every day life. Also, our brains are small and we (meaning Jayare) don't have the capacity to make good words when it comes to discussing intense political subjects and themes. So we tend to stay away them.

This week, though. We're getting political.

But not in the way you'd think. We're doing it in a fun way because apparently that can exist. It turns out it can be somewhat entertaining to talk politics when you're discussing fictional characters and events based around those fictional characters.

So that's what we did this week. We got political and had a little fun doing it. I think.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 9.8.2018_Episode_338.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 11:26pm EST
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Those OMV boys are at it again.

And by "at it again" I mean "There's an artist we admire who currently has a live Kickstarter for their latest project and they were kind enough to let us ask them questions about it and the rest of their work for the better part of an hour".

Classic.

This week we're here to talk about Agnimu Rehpot's Scribes and Scribbles. Unaware of Agnimu Rehpot's Scribes and Scribbles? Well it's pretty simple: Agnimu Rehpot's Scribes and Scribbles is a universe of wonder and imagination created by artist Mike Maydak and is (currently) set to be a 36 page book full of over 300 original drawings. I say "currently" because as of right now, the Kickstarter is still live with some tasty, newly-announced stretch goals so honestly the sky is the limit for Mike and his book. Be sure to check out the project HERE or find Mike on the various social medias and let him know how rad his work is.

Until then, enjoy our chat with Mr. Maydak and his fantastical world of Agnimu Rehpot's Scribes and Scribbles.

-Jr.

Direct download: 8.24.2018_Episode337.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 10:31am EST
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I apologize for the delay in getting this week's episode up. You see, I was busy protecting Metro City from the Skull Cross Gang. Luckily, despite being an elected official and mayor of the city I was blessed with bulging muscles and an incredible mustache. There wasn't a single member of the Skull Cross Gang that was safe from my piledriver. And after all was said and done my beautiful city was saved once more....with the help of this guy named Dean who had electric fists. That was cool, too.

Ok, yeah. I was playing Final Fight 3 all night with a friend of mine. But that doesn't make the previous paragraph any less true. Metro City can rest easy knowing Mike Haggar and Dean....Electric Fists(?) saved the day.

Anyways. Back in real life we do have an episode for you and it's a continuation of something we recorded a couple months ago. Back in June we talked about some comic shops that Alex had recently visited but we also discussed his fancy new CGC membership and his upcoming plans for some of his books. (Check it out HERE to get caught up.) About 6 weeks later those plans have come to fruition and CGC decided to send his books back sealed in some heavy duty plastic with valuable numbers attached. And we're going to unbox them. On an audio podcast. Where you can't see them.

That's what we do here at OMV. We specialize in breaking the mold and we wouldn't be surprised if audio unboxings catch on in the future. (Assuming they haven't already. In true OMV fashion I've done exactly zero research on the matter.) Either way. Check out this week's jam for the shocking results of the CGC unboxing extravaganza!

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 8.20.2019_Episode_336.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 10:55pm EST
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We learned something yesterday.

We learned that when Kyle from Decimated Designs hits you up saying he has some spare table space at TerrifiCon and is wondering if you and your best pals would be interested in putting your stuff on their tables for a day...you take him up on that offer. Because the end result is going to include some or all of the following:

  • A fun experience at a new convention.
  • The opportunity to settle a debate of enormous magnitude.
  • Throwing all your money at artists and creators.
  • Meeting comic legends and witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
  • Finding out if you were spared or sacrificed by Thanos.

I could go on but you get the idea. We had a blast down at Mohegan Sun and we can't thank Kyle and the Decimated crew enough for letting us be up in their space for 10 hours. Be on the lookout for some insane photos from Babs Who Takes Pictures and keep your eyes peeled if you're ever at TerrifiCon in the future because there's a good chance we might be back.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 8.19.2018_Episode_335.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 9:37pm EST
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In what could be considered one of the largest upsets of the last decade the unthinkable has happened. For the first time since 2010 we failed to make an appearance at the Boston Comic Con. We know. This is both extremely shocking and upsetting. But we're working through it and we're moving on.

Since we weren't going to be able to partake in the annual Boston festivities we decided to make it a learning opportunity. A few weeks ago our friend and OMV veteran Colen ventured down to Virginia to attend the 2nd edition of Blerdcon. Being two old men who rarely venture outside of the New England area for conventions Alex and I were eager to hear about Colen's experiences at a show that runs for 72 straight hours without stopping for rest.

If listening to us ramble for the next hour has you interested in the show, be sure to check out their site for updates or even take a look at this video made by our old pal Micah for a more visual representation of Blerdcon to go along with Colen's review.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 8.12.2018_Episode_334.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 7:33pm EST
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So I'm venting this week.

I went to a concert last Saturday with my wonderful wife and my wonderful Colin and while we had an amazing time...there are some things I need to get off my chest. I've had a few days to think it over and I figured I could use my festering rage as an opportunity to educate others on what I believe to be proper concert etiquette. So I grabbed Jon and Alex, sat them down in front of some microphones, and forced them to listen to my rant.

While I do a decent amount of whining and complaining this week it shouldn't take away from the fact that I got to witness one of the best concerts I've ever seen and overall I feel fortunate to be able to say I was there. Next step is getting them on the show....maybe another 600 episodes and we'll get there.

For now I'm just going to vent.

-Jr.

Direct download: 8.4.2018_Episode_333.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 7:44pm EST
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If you're into extremely long episodes featuring multiple guests having a great time talking about a local convention in Hartford, Connecticut boy howdy do we have a treat for you.

The last few weeks have been full of ConnectiCon chatter as we had some amazing opportunities to chat with game designers and freelance artists. Now it's time to review. Joining us for our recap extravaganza are our good friends Vicky (of Vee Cosplay) and niece Megan in what could be considered the greatest team-up in the history of podcasting. Tune in for stories, thoughts, reflections and most importantly: Arbitrary Letter Grades (Note: Megan gave the show an A-/B+ but we were dumb and forgot to ask during her segment).

There's a ton to get to so I'm gonna keep this short and sweet. Huge thanks to Vicky and Megan for giving us many hours of their time and as always a shout-out to the folks at ConnectiCon for giving us yet another opportunity to check out their show.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 7.25.2018_Episode_332.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 11:09pm EST
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To say we had a productive ConnectiCon would be putting it lightly. After day one we immediately went back to the studio to chat with game designer Jake Given in what turned into last week's hotness. After day two we had maybe a 2 hour break once we left to get ready for another sit down only this time it was with artist and freelance illustrator Christopher Cayco.

Similar to Jake and Lay Waste Games, Christopher had a table showcasing his arts and talents at this year's ConnectiCon. A veteran of over 100 different conventions, Christopher is no stranger to the con life and even uploads in-depth vlogs on his YouTube channel chronicling his thoughts and experiences throughout each unique show. It's a really neat look into the world of an artist from the other side of the table and we're a bit excited to see what he puts out for ConnectiCon.

Of course, in addition to his video content, Christopher is also a hella talented artist with some absolutely brilliant perspective pieces and character collages. For example: have you ever met anyone who has made a print featuring every single Pokemon that has ever existed? Or how about every Rick and Morty character on one page? Well it's been done and it was done by Christopher. Peep at his Instagram or click the links above for more of his work and check the listing of your local convention for his name. The man has embraced the con life and there's a good chance he'll be popping into a show near you. In the mean time, check out our talk with Chris and learn a thing or two about amazing perspectives and Pokemon.

-Jr.

Direct download: 7.14.2018_Episode_331.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 9:01pm EST
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Day one of ConnectiCon 2018 has come and gone in what felt like a blur of vendors, cosplayers, and food trucks. I'm sure we'll have plenty to say about it soon but for now we need to prepare for day two. Despite only having a few hours to enjoy the show yesterday it was a great opportunity to get my bearings and get a feel for the venue. Now today is going to be all about checking out the vendors, spending the money, and playing the games.

Speaking of games: We have a nice treat for you and it's just about as hot-off-the-presses as pre-recorded media can be. Jake Given, co-founder and game designer of Lay Waste Games, is showing their latest creation in the tabletop demo area of ConnectiCon and we had the opportunity to chat with him once the doors closed for the day. Keen listeners may recall we've talked about Lay Waste's games at length in our previous two PAX East recaps with Dragoon being a show-stealer two years ago and Human Era catching our attention this past spring. You can check out their website HERE or if you're super quick you can get down to ConnectiCon either today or tomorrow and meet Jake and his new game in person!

Enjoy this week's episode and be on the lookout for our wrap-up in the near future. Until then, I have a lot of irresponsible financial decisions to make at ConnectiCon day 2!

-Jr.

Direct download: 7.13.2018_Episode_330.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 12:38am EST
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Seeing as our annual trip to ConnectiCon is but 5 days away we figured it would be a good time to hype up the show a bit. This is your classic "two birds, one stone" situation here because yeah, we're trying to hype it up for you, the humble listener. But we're also trying to hype it up for ourselves. Seeing as our favorite pals from Super Art Fight won't be in attendance this year; we're going to have to put on our big-boy pants and find other things to entertain us. Like games. Or food trucks. or a combination of the two.

We'll make due.

In addition to some ConnectiCon hype we thought it would be neat to play a little game of "Where are they now?" in regard to guests of OMV past. It's been quite some time since we've had the pleasure of chatting with a few of our guests so we did some internet searching to find out what they've been up to...and the results might shock you!

I hate myself for writing that.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 7.8.2018_Episode_329.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 3:35pm EST
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Alex is smart. Because unlike myself he knows how to take advantage of being on vacation. At least this week he did because he took a neat trip to states other than Connecticut to visit some friends and, more importantly, comic shops. He also snagged a shiny new membership to CGC (separate events) so now we can get back to sending books in and pray they come back in acceptable grades. I say "we" because I'm absolutely going to piggy back off his hard-spent money and use him for his membership.

He probably doesn't mind.

We are talking about both of these things this week in a "Justice" episode for the ages. (I don't know if it's ever been explained in writing but when we say we're doing a "Justice" episode it's because there's no guest. It's "just us". We are way too proud of that. )

Anyway, tune in this week to hear tales of Alex's venture into unknown lands and predictions on his first batch of books set to go out to be slabbed eternal.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 6.30.2018_Episode_328.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 9:45pm EST
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This week we had the pleasure of sitting down for a talk with renowned New England-based cosplayer Raymond Ramos. Having encountered Raymond multiple times throughout several different conventions over the past few years one thing is evident: This dude knows how to become a character.

We've had the opportunity to talk with many cosplayers in the past both on and off of our show and its always an amazing experience when we get to learn about their introduction to the scene, their process, and their mentality when it comes to crafting and designing these outfits and Raymond was no exception. This week we got to learn how a man went from modding a simple leather jacket to crafting complete sets of award winning armor within the span of like, 4 years. While juggling other responsibilities like being a father and martial artist with a day job.

No big deal.

Check out Raymond's work by clicking the link above or if you're going to be in the New England area next weekend (June 30th) you'll be able to see him in person at ComiConn at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT where he'll be cosplaying as a guest and also participating in some panels throughout the weekend.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 6.22.2018_Episode_327.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 1:37pm EST
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Two weeks ago we had the pleasure of speaking with Josh and Sarah of the Five Points Festival mere hours before the show was slated to begin. Needless to say it was super rad of them to even give us 5 minutes of time let alone a half hour and the end result was a whole bunch of hype as Jon and Alex prepared to head to New York City to check it out.

They've since checked it out, took a little bit of time to compress and get some thoughts together, and now it's time for the end result. This one was exciting for a variety of reasons, too. It's been a while since we've had the opportunity to cover a new show outside of our normal routine plus who better to cover it than our resident toy expert himself? The last time we were at a convention with Jon was around 3 years ago while Alex was recovering from surgery and I was helping a friend experience his first ever NYCC. So it's a bit overdue. Plus, we've never been able to cover a show quite like this one. Yes, we've been to comic cons, steampunk shows, anime conventions etc...but a designer toy and craft beer show? That's new territory. New, expensive territory. Just the way we like it.

Tune in to this week's episode as Alex and Jon recap their experiences at the 2018 Five Points Festival and get the inside scoop on the latest in designer toys, enamel pins, kaiju and more. Once again, huge thanks to the folks at Five Points for giving us some time to chat with them and cover their show; it's quite possible there will be 3 of us attending next year...

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 6.10.2018_Episode_326.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 12:25am EST
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I don't mean to brag here, but if I'm being honest it must be acknowledged that Alex is on fire with guests this year. Week after week I'm left practically exhausted after speaking with yet another amazing individual from one of the numerous scenes we try to follow and this week was no exception.

This time we're talking with illustrator Livio Ramondelli. A graduate of the Academy of Art University, Livio has some impressive credits to his name such as IDW's "Transformers", Legendary Comics' "Pacific Rim", and designs for Niantic Labs (Ingress, Pokemon GO). A quick peek at his website will show you that Livio has some unbelievable talent when it comes to both digital and traditional art and now you get the chance to hear two wannabes with minimal artistic talent try to keep up with a master of turning boxes into robots.

Plus we talk about Hot Toys, Sketch Prices, and a mutual appreciation for Tom Franck's Robot Collection. A little something for everyone this week.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 6.7.2018_Episode_325.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 2:17pm EST
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This coming weekend is the Five Points Festival down at the Brooklyn Expo Center in New York City. Last year we missed out on Five Points and didn't realize what we could have had until it was too late. Now that time has passed and we're a bit older and somewhat wiser the Festival is here again and we're not looking to make the same mistake twice.

At least Alex isn't. Because in just a matter of days he and our great pal Jon are going to be traveling to the city to take part in the 2nd Five Points Festival so they can see the sights, gawk at some art, and probably spend too much money. In other words they're looking to experience a great convention.

In anticipation of the show we were fortunate enough to have a quick chat with two of the people who make it all possible: Sarah Booz and Josh Kimberg. Despite the fact that they have a show literally hours from now, they managed to make some time for a few dummies looking to ask them some questions.

Check out the site HERE and if your interested is piqued there's still time to get your behind to NYC. Tune in next week (or maybe the week after?) ...soon. Tune in soon for our recap and follow our Instagram so you don't miss out on any snaps from the show.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 5.31.2018_Episode_324.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 9:54pm EST
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Our guest this week is Matt Ryan of Free Lunch Studios and as you'll soon find out this man is the definition of the awful expression "rise and grind". It first came up a few weeks ago after our Free Comic Book Day excursion when Alex and I fully realized how hard Matt actively works to promote his product and interact with his fans. Coming from two guys who get exhausted recording a podcast for literally one hour of the 168 hour week we can't help but respect the amount of time and effort Matt spends day-in and day-out repping his work.

This week Matt was able to carve out a little bit of time on his "easy" Saturday and chat with us about his comics, his work ethic, and a mutual fondness of Conan the Barbarian. Be sure to check out Matt and Free Lunch Studios on all the various social mediums and keep your eye out because you never know when he might pop up at a show near you.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 5.26.2018_Episode_323.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 3:21pm EST
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It's been literally hundreds of episodes since we had the pleasure of talking with Michael Bracco on our show. According to the internet it's been around 1,541 days which I thought would be a neat statistic but in reality it just kind of made me feel old so we'll drop the stats for now and get to the good stuff.

Some people might be a little more familiar with Michael's alter-ego: the legendary Baron Von Sexyful of Super Art Fight. But performing in insane bouts of artistic mayhem doesn't quite fully illustrate the scope of his talents as both an artist and a writer and some would be pleased to hear he's also been producing his own comics such as "NOVO" and "Adam Wreck" for quite some time.

Now, many years and many more episodes later Michael is back and this time he's got a new volume of his webcomic "The Creators" that he's looking to get published and, as of this writing, it's looking like that dream is going to become a reality. Check out the Kickstarter HERE and if you wanted to get caught up with the rest of Michael's work take a look at his website HERE and get your read on.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 5.15.2018_Episode_322.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 2:41pm EST
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I am forever indebted to Brett and Alex. They are two of my closest friends and they have introduced me to more incredible things over the last decade than I could possibly have imagined. Not only that, but then they have the patience to deal with me as I gradually slide down a spiral of fascination and obsession. They really are saints.

2013 was a big year in terms of "Jayare gets obsessed with stuff" as that was the first time Brett and Alex took me with them to a Steampunk show down in New Jersey. It was at this show that I was introduced to a smorgasbord of acts, people, and performances I never knew existed: One of them being the musical powerhouse known as "Frenchy and The Punk".

Described as a "Multi-cultural genre-bending NY Folk Cabaret Duo", Frenchy and The Punk have been traveling and performing around the world since 2005 and have shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, they're currently raising funds to release their latest studio album and are going to be touring the United States with another OMV favorite: The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing. Hop on over to their website for tour dates, merch, and all that other great stuff.

So why am I rambling about Frenchy and The Punk, you ask? Well as it turns out they had a little bit of free time between shows and gave us (along with Brett Kelley) the opportunity to chat with them about their past, present, and future in one of our most anticipated interviews to date.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 5.11.2018_Episode_321.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 12:13am EST
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It's been a while since we've had one of those real late Saturday night "oh man I hope they didn't forget to make an episode this week" episodes so we figured we were due for one. But this is a late one for good reason:

It's Free Comic Book Day.

And free comic books we did acquire. Then we had to do other adult stuff but that's boring and not relevant. But free comic books were achieved and now we're going to talk about them. If you missed out on FCBD 2018 be sure to mark the first Saturday of May for next year and start planning. Or you can hit up your local comic shop and see if they have anything left over; you never know what you might get your hands on that turns out to be your next obsession.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 5.5.2018_Episode_320.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 11:35pm EST
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Today was a good day.

I woke up around 7 in the morning because that's what normal people do on a Saturday, right? Then I went to see Infinity War at 9:45am with Alex because, again, that's what normal people do, right? Then we found a wild Colin, kidnapped him, forced him to eat Red Robin with us, then planted a microphone in front of his face for an hour and half to hear his thoughts on the latest movie in the Marvel Universe.

Then we threw a frisbee around and played some lawn darts.

The only part that's not true is the kidnapping thing. Colin willfully (I think) joined us today but literally everything else in the previous statements are true. Because those are things normal people do. Especially the lawn darts.

Good days are good.

We say it a bunch in the episode but I'm going to put it here, too:

This episode contains massive spoilers for Infinity War.

You've been warned.

-Jr.

Direct download: 4.28.2018_Episode_319.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 9:09pm EST
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Welcome Home

This year's PAX recap was a tough one. Not only is it extremely difficult to fit an entire weekend full of the best things in the world into one episode; but we had to do it down a man. Sadly; our brother-in-PAX Colin couldn't make it to the studio as he was in a heated battle with every microphones worst enemy: The Common Cold. Despite the enormous handicap we were able to push on and with Joe's help we managed to put together a hell of a recap full of games, panels, and experiences.

2018 makes it PAX East #5 for us and this year we did things a little differently. Meaning: This year, in addition to the "core group", we also had some new members join in including two people who have never been to a PAX before. Ever. Meaning: We got to introduce rad people to a rad show and damn was it neat.

Former OMV guests Ken and Bob joined in on the fun this year along with a new friend Kevin. Each of them came to PAX because of a shared fondness for gaming but what was really fascinating was the diversity that each person brought to the table. Ken, being our resident fighting game expert, disappeared within minutes because SoulCalibur. Bob couldn't get enough of the Wyrmwood booth and when he wasn't schooling me on live-action D&D knowledge he was shooting some hella rad footage. And Kevin? Kevin is huge into board games and probably walked away from PAX having played more games than anyone. He even threw down some quick words about the weekend. Check it out:

"It was cool as hell. I was amazed at how orderly and accessible it was. The prices (for food and parking) were reasonable and people were super friendly and laid back. The sheer number of games (both board and digital) available to try was daunting but awesome. I was surprised by the number of games I tried (and bought) that had already been released, but I had never seen before. The kickstarter area was a kickass highlight of the event. Hanging out with you guys was an added bonus, but next year I want a bed!" - Kevin B.

Next year, Kevin. You will have a bed.

Until then, check out this week's 'sode as we recap all of our PAX-periences and be sure to check out this year's photo album HERE which also features some contributions from Bob because he's better at taking pictures than me plus he's just a fantastic human being and said we could post them.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 4.17.2018_Episode_318.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 2:55pm EST
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For the second year in a row I managed to actually watch Wrestlemania instead of catch 5 second gifs while my friends live-tweet the event. I still don't really consider myself an avid fan of professional wrestling but I have to admit the big pay-per-views can be hella entertaining sometimes. Even though I am a sucker for the nostalgic and I (unfairly) compare everything new to everything I loved as a child I still find myself getting invested in a match every now and then to the point where a genuine emotional response is then provoked out of my face-hole.

Brings me back to the old days of Brett Hart/Bob Backlund cross-face chicken-wing insanity that caused me to scream at my friend's television for what felt like an eternity.

I definitely thought that was real, btw.

But it wouldn't be a Wrestlemania recap without Matthew James, though. So Matthew James is what we got. Tune in this week for recaps, reactions, and TONS OF SPOILERS from The Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 4.10.2018_Episode_317.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 4:20pm EST
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According to our calculations we've been doing this whole podcasting thing for 6 years now. If you went back in time to 2012 and told us that we'd be 316 episodes deep with 100+ different guests in 2018 we would probably attack you with vicious intent as we're absolutely terrified of time travel paradoxes.

But seriously.

We did a lot of patting-on-the-back recently when we hit episode 300 so I'll try to keep the gloating to a minimum and instead I'll just say thank you. To everyone who tuned in to even a single episode over the years and to all the guests who took the time out of their day to let a couple of doofuses ask them questions. Thank you all.

Here's to another year of casting those sweet, sweet pods.

-Jr.

Direct download: 4.3.2018_Episode_316.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 9:10pm EST
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Flashback to November of 2012. A spry, 26 year-old Jr is getting ready to head out to only the second midnight release of a video game in his life. You see, after getting an Xbox 360 he got addicted to Halo 3. And then Halo: Reach. It was only natural that Halo 4 would also cause massive levels of excitement as well. He's managed to convince his friend who has to work at 7am to spend the night at his place so they can play until they pass out. It would be a night to remember; full of steak dinners, triple kills, and accidental betrayals. It was good.

Never would I have imagined that almost 6 years later I'd have the opportunity to talk with one of the people responsible for creating the game and yet, here we are. Because our guest this week is concept artist Kory Hubbell and he was indeed one of those people.

Working on some of the Halo games isn't his only credit, though. He's currently a Senior Concept Artist for Amazon Game Studios and he also dabbles in art direction for table top games like the about-to-be-funded "Brutality". Check out our chat with Kory as we take a trip into the world of concept design and PvP Medieval Brawler Board Games. It's the perfect opportunity to learn something new such as: how to get a job as a concept artist or how to design the perfect Spartan helmet (just be careful when you mess around with the visors, though...).

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 3.29.2018_Episode_315.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 11:54am EST
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We gotta hand it to the fine folks over at Super Art Fight. We've been bothering various members of their troupe to come on our show for something like 4 years now and every time we've come knocking they've always been willing to chat with us. This time was no exception.

Ross Nover joined us this week and like all the other members of the Art Fight crew he is a person of many talents. Specifically, he's the creator of "The System" webcomic and he also represents one-half of the hosting responsibilities for the live Art Fight bouts. With over 800 individual comics to his name and an encyclopedic knowledge of obscure cultural references we're starting to think that, despite what the t-shirts say, Ross might not suck all that much.

Plus the dude can take a hell of a chop from a professional wrestler. (See: ConnectiCon 2017)

For those heading to PAX East in a few weeks you'll have a great opportunity to meet Ross and some other members of the Art Fight roster as they're making their PAX debut on Friday night. If you can't make it out to Boston don't fret: they also have a Kickstarter going at this very moment so you can bring the Art Fight competition into your own home. It may not be quite as Sexyful as the real thing but it will be a good substitute to hold you over until you can make it out to a live show.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 3.15.2018_Episode_314.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 11:11pm EST
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Among his many talents, our pal Joe has a knack for spotting truly remarkable creators while walking the aisles in Artist Alley. And among my many talents, I have a knack for listening to him when he tells me he thinks he found someone I should check out. A prime example of this would be this week's guest Nooligan. During one of our ventures to Boston Comic Con a few years ago Joe pointed me in the direction of Nooligan's table and since then the entire OMV gang has amassed a trove of prints, books, sketches, and pins. I think it's safe to say Joe was right again.

Join us this week as we learn more about the artist behind the name and how he found success with a unique style, a chill mentality, and some Chuck Taylors.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 3.13.2018_Episode_313.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 2:25pm EST
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What happens when you give a man an ungodly amount of money so you can buy the movie rights to his comic book characters?

*sigh*

It seems we're going to find out.

Join us this week as we discuss Netflix's most recent comic-related acquisition: Extreme Studios....

*siiiiiiigh*

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 3.10.2018_Episode_312.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 10:31pm EST
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Our guest this week goes by the name of Savage and let me tell you what Savage's deal is:

He makes rad cosplay.

We first met Savage last year at our favorite backyard convention: ConnectiCon. We were all completely blown away by his original Metapod cosplay design and after seeing Savage pop up in photo albums and cosplay videos across the internet it was clear we weren't the only ones.

Fast forward a few months to Katsucon 2018 and look who pops up in the latest Legend of Micah video. Seeing Savage's updated version of his Metapod design was the last straw: we needed to talk to him and get our learn on. Luckily for us he was more than willing to give us a call and join us on the show to talk about cosplay, conventions, and magnets.

Yes, magnets.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 3.4.2018_Episode_311.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 8:59pm EST
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THE Zach Charbs is back in what could easily be described as one of the most anticipated returns in the history of Opinions May Vary. It seems like just a few months ago we were chatting with Zach about our Batfleck thoughts while having extended conversations about Wesley Snipes fighting vampires.

That was 4 years ago.

But we're going to make up for the time lost by talking about two things Zach has an expansive knowledge on: Video games and vinyl records. I also took this week as an opportunity to tell tales of diving through 13 year-old boxes of storage and finding treasures from my childhood that were thought to be lost long ago. Who knew refusing to throw anything out would pay off so handsomely?

Now if you'll excuse me, there's a copy of Star Fox 64 that is just screaming my name.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 2.24.2018_Episode_310.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 2:23pm EST
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Usually when we sit down to talk with someone I have a general idea of the questions I want to ask or the points I want to touch on. Obviously not every minute of every episode is planned out (they don't call us the Kings of Tangents for nothing) (also no one calls us that) but inevitably some unplanned topics or questions always tend to come up as we dive in and get talking.

This week, while talking with Amber Dionne about The Society for Creative Anachronism, I think we may have set a record for "Most questions asked that we didn't know we were going to ask". In other words, talking with Amber about the SCA was absolutely fascinating and every topic we discussed birthed an insatiable hunger to learn more about it.

Check out the episode and you'll see what I'm getting at.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 2.16.2018_Episode_309.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 3:50pm EST
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This one is a little long but it's worth it because the SombreBlanco himself is back in the studio and we're talking about games where people punch each other until someone passes out. 

Ken, by the way. Ken is our guest this week. He knows more about fighting games and the fighting game community than I know about anything else so I tend to get a bit excited when I have the opportunity to put a microphone in front of his face. With the new Dragonball game fresh off a hot release and the recent EVO lineup announcements it's safe to say we had plenty to talk about.

And talk we did.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 2.10.2018_Episode_308.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 5:53pm EST
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If there's one lesson I've learned today it's that the Overwatch League is extremely detrimental to my productivity. I guess there's just something about people who are enormously skilled at a videogame that I pretend to be good at with my friends that I find addictive and entertaining. And now there's city-specific teams to root for? With merch? And skins? Come on.

But don't worry. I know you're craving that weekly dose of OMV deliciousness and today we've got a great one for you.

This week we're joined by freelance/comic artist Jonboy Meyers. A 20 year veteran of the comic and design industry, Jonboy's work can be found in various comics like Royals and Teen Titans and video games like Hearthstone and League of Legends. Of course, that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Jonboy's credits; check out his website HERE to see more.

Tune in this week as we sit down with Jonboy and learn about what it takes to make a living in the world of design and illustration.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 2.1.2018_Episode_307.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 4:47pm EST
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Usually we make it a few months into the year before we start talking about conventions. With PAX East being one of the earlier shows we can typically hold out until around March/April. This year we made it to January 27th. But this isn't our normal "omg we're so excited for this year's conventions"...instead we're diving into a different part of events that are essential to the operation of any show: The Volunteers.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 1.27.2018_Episode_306.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 8:53pm EST
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I'm a little pressed for time at the moment so you'll have to excuse my brevity but we have a really neat episode for you this week.

With the recent news of Marvel acquiring the rights to the legendary Conan the Barbarian again, we thought it would be fitting to do one thing: Talk about Conan the Barbarian. I consider myself a very lucky man in that my partner in crime happens to be somewhat of an expert on the topic. While I have almost zero knowledge of the character myself; I jumped at the opportunity to sit down and ask Alex all about the Barbarian king/pirate/destroyer/adventurer etc and in the span of a few hours I learned more than I could have possibly imagined about Robert Howard, Cimmerians, and Vincent D'Onofrio. And it was good.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 1.18.2018_Episode_305.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 5:18pm EST
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By Alex

“Why would you want to talk to me?” said this weeks guest when I asked him about joining us for an episode. 

Because he gets to hang around some of the coolest and biggest names in the comicbook industry, travels to 20 or so conventions a year while dealing with event organizers, has amazing art pass through his hands on a regular basis, has been able to make a business for himself, facilitates fans getting work from some of their favorite artists and I’m sure there’s a few more things.  

Jason Schachter is an artist agent and creator/owner of Essential Sequential. It’s possible you’ve seen a row of purple banners at some major conventions attached to names like Tim Sale, Klaus Janson, Cary Nord, Eric Canete, Dave Johnson, Matteo Scalera and others. You can thank Jason for that.

I pitched being a guest for an episode to Jason back at NYCC 2017 and thankfully convinced him to find time to make us jealous with stories of having dinner with Frank Miller among other fun tidbits.  We enjoy talking with the people that work to pull the strings and make the show happen as much as we do the stars of the show, and I was curious to know what goes into working as an agent for his talented group.

You can find Essential Sequential on Facebook and their website https://www.essentialsequential.com/

(also I’m in the middle of a cold so please excuse my coughing which Jayare had to try and mute throughout the episode)

Direct download: 1.11.2018_Episode_304.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 12:22pm EST
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As all of us up here in New England attempt to recover from the most recent snow storm we noticed that our dear pal Charlie and his gang over at Sketchprices recently eclipsed the 10,000 member mark. We saw this as cause for celebration because that's about 33 times more fans than we have and let's face it: Charlie is just a great guy and we're always looking for excuses to talk to him.

It seems like only yesterday when we happened upon the original Sketchprices website, marveling at its simplistic beauty. Delighted to find that there were indeed other people out there devoted to the idea of "Hey....how much does this artist usually charge?". Now we're happy to know there are at least 10,000 other people out there who also share that line of thinking and by the look of things that number is only going to keep increasing.

Which is great because it gives us more excuses to bother Charlie with return appearances.

Click the link above to check out the page if you haven't already. And depending on when you're reading this you might still have some time to enter their upcoming raffle supporting the Hero Initiative.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 1.6.2018_Episode_303.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 5:05pm EST
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