The Honeycomb Hideout

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! Today's episode carries a bit of somberness to it, as this episode is meant to acknowledge the recent passing of legendary manga creator Akira Toriyama. As the creator of one of the quintessential gateway series, Dragon Ball, even those that don't know his name know his works. Joining Joe in celebrating his life and creations from Shining Otaku, we have Ervin Johnson and, newbie to the Hideout, Brianna Shanelle chilling today. So come on down as they celebrate (and geek out) over the effect that Akira Toriyama has had on the world of pop culture and art as a whole.

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! Took us a while to get to it, but Joe and Christine are finally talking about a series that is most definitely up our and our audience. A new anime series based on the franchise that quickly became a phenomenon in the 2010s, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off! With Bryan Lee O'Malley finally returning to his most popular series, you can bet he had plenty to see as he did it and we are going to talk plenty about it! So come on down and let's get into it!

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! Carrying over the vibes from last episode, Joe and Christine are diving into the ins and outs of our favorite fictional genres with a little help from a veritable bard for storytelling itself, Christine's partner, Brodie A.K.A. Mr. Mumbles! Y'all ever get the feeling that someone's trying to make a thing a competition? Yeah... those vibes might be real present, so come on down and see where that winds up taking us!

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! It's 2024, so settle in, this one is already shaping up to be as long as the last one! After taking some time off for the holidays, Joe and Christine are back and they're ready to deep dive on new geeky stuff! This time Christine's taking the wheel and they're discussing the new series Hazbin Hotel (well, new to Prime, definitely not new to YouTube). But that ain't all that's getting talked about as returning listeners are all too aware, because the conversation never stops at just the main topic. So come on down, 'combies, and get comfy as we get geeky as HELL up in here! See that? See what I did there? 😉

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! That's right, you're not imagining it. Consecutive episodes! (Don't get used to it. 😜) So, the Hideout is going to be taking a break for January, but, but fear not! 'Tis only a break, and we should be back in February with more Hideout Hijinx for y'all. So, to tide you over, we decided to resurrect the Hot Pot and bring y'all a bonus episode to enjoy before the new year! Joe and Christine are joined by Mark and Nik and, as if this was tailored for them, the Hot Pot topic is... Hot Takes! So needless to say, EVERYBODY'S got somethin' to say! So come on down, enjoy some good-natured jigging, and ring in the holiday and new year with your homies.

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! It's that time again! Time for a new installment of GOATS!! This time around, we're actually going with music as our theme and boy oh boy, does it get interesting. Joining Joe in the Hideout this time is Imaginos Workshop's own Nikhil Emmadi and Ara Belian and there will certainly be no shortage of surprises and maybe even an upset or two. So come on down and let's see what flavor the noise winds up today!

Alright, 'Combies! Been a minute, right? Well, the world has kept turning in our absence... so let's talk about that. The SAG-AFTRA strike is over and the holidays are officially in full swing, so Joe and Christine take a beat to reflect on some of the most recent things going on in the world and also some of the things that they've been partaking in that they can now talk about. So, come on down and let's get caught up!

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES!! Spoopy season is here again and we have a treat for y'all (as well as a trick, but that's for the crew and y'all get to enjoy it)! Of course, we couldn't allow Halloween to go by without doing a Horror-based episode (seriously, Christine wouldn't allow it) so we're going to dive into a fairly prolific Horror creator's work this time around. An extremely prominent figured in J-Horror manga, we're talking about Junji Ito this episode as a new anime anthology has been released collecting his stories and we've brought on Imaginos Workshop's other resident horror-phile, Jon Ross, to really get to the crust of just what it is about Junji Ito's work that fascinates and stimulates his audience so much that he managed to solidify himself as a fixture in J-Horror. So come on down, gang, and let's get spoopy up in here!

Alright, 'Combies! We continue to conduct ourselves in solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA strike, but there's a particular piece of art that we absolutely needed to talk about with y'all! So, approaching this from an analytical perspective and not from a promotional one, today Joe and Christine are joined by Mark Dudley to discuss the recent film "They Cloned Tyrone". And, rest assured, 'Combies, with this assembly, this film is getting a deep referential and thematic deep dive because there is entirely too much to this movie to give it any less of any analysis. So come on down and get comfy! But mind the grape drink.

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! Today we've got a little something different for you! We're going to be injecting a bit of fun (that can potentially end friendships) into the Hideout by introducing a new game that we'll be playing from time to time on the show, GOATs (Greatest of All Times), where objectivity has no place at the table and you'd better bring your A-Game to get points on the board! So come on down as Joe and Christine are joined by Hideout OGs Mark Dudley and Nik Emmadi for the debut of GOATs and witness the unhinged shenanigans that ensue!

Alright, 'Combies! If 2023 has been anything, it's been a quite a year for movies! And this one... y'all... this one was a big deal. After five years, the sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is finally here and, we can say with confidence, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse does NOT disappoint! So come on down, kick back, and get ready for a journey as Joe and Christine deep dive on this phenomenal film from its story, its incredible animation, and its resonant and engaging themes.

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES!! Comic Convention Season is in full effect and Imaginos Workshop had its first major outiing of the season at Motor CIty Comic Con! Having been to many over the years, you can imagine that we have many a thought on how they're run, the common practices, and disappointing tendencies. So, to help run some of these topics and sundry down, Mark Dudley is joining Joe in the Hideout and oh the places this conversation goes. So, come on down and so what a couple of Honeycomb Hideout OGs get up to in the studio!

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! Y'all had to know that this one was coming... As much as we talk about games and movies, we HAD to talk about what is quite possibly, as of this posting, the most successful video game movie of all time! That's right, we're reviewing and discussing The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but we aren't stopping there! With this film's success, there's bound to be more films made with Nintendo properties and we're going to dive all up into those possibilities, specifically the prospect of how future films could lead into a Super Smash Bros movie. Yup! We're going there. So come on down and let's bust some blocks!

Alright, 'Combies! Yes, it's another movie review, but it's going to be all that an more this week. With the release of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and considering how deep on RPGing we went on our D&D OGL episode, this was just the logical escalation. So, like with the TTRPGs we love, we brought in a couple of friends for the occasion. So with their guests Dr. El Reyes and Brodie hanging in the Hideout in with them, Joe and Christine are diving into the latest version of D&D to hit the big screen and going into their own experiences with roleplaying games and why it really is so much fun. So come on down and get comfy while we all get REAL nerdy up in here!

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES!! The time has come again for another visit into the MCU with their latest entry. This time we're journeying to what is widely considered the lighter side of the MCU for a fun but even quirkier (and in some cases, darker) adventure with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania! As is often the case with any Marvel Studios production, of course Joe and Christine have a ton to say about this film but it might not be entirely what you're expecting. So, if you're gonna find out, come on down and let's getting to the thick of it in the Quantum Realm!

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES!! Joe and Christine have returned from their hiatus, so it's time to play catch-up. And HOO-BOY, do they have some stuff to catch up on! Along with sharing about the recent and upcoming goodies brewing in the Workshop from the Imaginos crew, your Simp Master Thirst King and Scientist Supreme had to go headlong into the drama and chaos of the recent attempt that D&D made to update their Original Gaming License/OGL and simultaneously nullify the previous version. As you might imagine (or witnessed outright because it was hard to miss), NO ONE took this course of action well. So come on down and let's see what our dynamic duo have to say on the matter!

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! Here we are! The last episode for 2022! Considering that fact, we of course had to round out the year on a big one. And OOOOOHHHHHH what a big one it is! Joe and Christine are about to dive deep into their latest return trip to Wakanda via Marvel Studios' latest film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and there is so much there to discuss, y'all. So you know the deal by now, if you haven't seen it yet, steer clear until you have but make sure to experience this film. Why? Because, Spoiler Alert, it was a worthwhile and emotional journey. So come on down, grab some tissues, and get ready to feel some things!

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! While spooky season has come and gone, the spooky content shall ever remain and there's a very special one that we have to talk about. Despite some amazingly lackluster marketing, we were able to catch a new animated feature on Netflix from Henry Selick (director of The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, and Coraline) and Jordan Peele (yes, THAT Jordan Peele) called Wendell & Wild, and HOO-BOY, there is a lot going on with this flick! So much so that we absolutely HAD to discuss what we were able to pick up on from this movie. So, come on down and kick back, 'Combies, we're about to dive ALL UP into Wendell & Wild!

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES!! As you all are WELL and surely aware at this point, the Hideout and Imaginos Workshop as whole is chock full of geeks and nerds, but we are all also well aware of the fact that our hobbies and fandoms aren't as inclusive as we wished they actually were. Well, the tabletop RPG heads in the group got another shock to the system recently with the leak of the playtest of TSR Hobbies' reboot of the Star Frontiers RPG "New Genesis". If any of you out there haven't heard of this recent event, then buckle up, 'Combies, because we're going all in on discussing this sh*tshow and we've got ol' Blackie Jones, Mark Dudley himself, in the Hideout to go deep in on this one. So come on down and join Joe, Christine, and Mark as they wade into this cesspool to get to the real nitty-gritty of TSR's misfire and the inherent prejudice in gaming.

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES!! Jordan Peele has done it again! He's produced another piece of cinematic horror commentary and HOO-BOY! Are they here to talk about it!! Joining Joe and Christine this time around though is a friend of the show that saw the movie with them, the Monster Mama Brittany Carryer. There's a wealth of imagery, messaging, and references through Jordan Peele's latest film, NOPE, so come on down and see how deep the gang dives down this particular rabbit hole.

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! We're dipping back into the ocean of manga and anime culture and HOO-BOY are there things to talk about! Joining us for this cultural reflection is, fellow member of Imaginos Workshop and one of the proprietors of Shining Otaku, Ervin Johnson as the vibes in the Hideout head East as we discuss some of the impacts that anime and manga have had on American culture. Were they good? Were they bad? Were they weird? Search your feelings, you know one of those is a "yes". So come on down and see what we get up to this time around!

Alright, 'Combies! Joe and Christine are back with a review of the latest MCU cinema offering, Thor: Love and Thunder! As is always the case, we go all in with the spoilers in these discussions, so make sure that you've seen the movie already before listening to this one. Our bro, the god of thunder, is having a bit of a millennial life crisis and we are hear to dive into it how he's trying (and failing) to not make it everyone else's problem. So come on down and get comfy while we get into it in the Hideout!

Alright, 'Combies! In honor of our return to our favorite recording space, we're going to get a little more personal than usual. As most of you know, Imaginos Workshop is a crew that creates content and, since we create content, why not actually talk about content creation? The misconceptions, early efforts, and more! Also, that episode title. Yeah, it actually does mean something, much to our guest's chagrin. So come on down and see what Joe, Christine, and their guest, fellow member of Imaginos, Nikhil Emmadi get up to this time around!

Alright, 'Combies! With all of the interesting happenstances occurring in the world of comedy lately, especially after the incident at the Oscars, it feels like the right time to take a moment and really reflect on comedy itself, how it has evolved over time, and just how it is interpreted by its audiences nowadays. And, if you're gonna dive into a specialized topic, you gotta bring in some specialists, and boy, do we have some special specialists for this episode! Joining Joe and Christine in the Hideout are two funnymen that are just the right kind of funnymen to tackle this topic with; former Hideout resident and ever-present member of Imaginos Workshop Nik Emmadi and Andrew Walker, longtime friend of Imaginos and the host of the Pristine America podcast! So come on down and prepare for opinions and laughs 'cuz we got plenty of both this time, y'all!

Alright, 'Combies! The latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sees the multiverse get busted wide open with Doctor Strange at the center of the chaos... again. But this time, joining him and Wong for the magical shenanigans are the Scarlet Witch Wanda Maximoff and the universe-hopping, star-punching America Chavez! And y'all... this one gets a wee-bit spoopy. Now, as is always the case when Marvel Studios has a cinematic release... we went and saw it... and we have some thoughts! So come on down as Joe and Christine proceed to dissect and discuss Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and get at just what this movie had to offer!

'COMBIES!! Y'all have Netflix, right? Have y'all heard of this show called "Midnight Mass"? If you haven't, you really should check it out. 'Cuz it's pretty neat. So neat in fact that Joe and Christine just had to dive into the nitty gritty of this series and geek out all over it! But they aren't geeking out alone over the smorgasbord of spoopiness. Joining them for the discussion is fellow Imaginos Workshop member and founder of 333horror.com, Jon Ross, and he's bringing plenty of horror background to the table! So spoilers ahoy and let's get into this modern, nuanced, and all too gripping and engaging series!

Alright, 'Combies! We about to do somethin' a lil' different this week. WIth as prevalent as relationships and romantic subplots have always been in our fictional media and as prevalent a topic as representation has become in recent years, there's actually a form of relationship that hasn't gotten quite as much, despite its rise in many corners of the public consciousness. And that would be polyamory. Some of y'all may have already heard about it, some may not know what it is at all. Well, don't worry! We've got you covered as your Simp Master Thirst King and Scientist Supreme take some time to educate on and further discuss polyamory, its representations in media, and how it fits into the ever-evolving spectrum of relationships and sexuality. Are you going to learn something? Very likely. In the clumsiest way possible? Oh, most definitely!

Alright, 'Combies! Y'all heard about the thing, right? The thing that happened? The thing that happened at the place between the dudes? No? You didn't? Well, we all know that's not true. In terms of news that actually was literally all over the internet, the altercation at the Oscars between Will Smith and Chris Rock was definitely it. And like all things that attain THAT level of reach, EVERYONE has a take on it. And Imaginos Workshop ain't no different! BUT!!! It may not be the take that you think. With Mark Dudley in tow, Joe and Christine are about to wade all up into this pool of nitro and things are about to get colorful. So, settle in, 'Combies, because we're about to spill the damn tea!

Hoo-boy, 'Combies. We've got a chonky one for you this week. With the release of the fourth film of the Evangelion Rebuild series finally happening last year and there being Eva fans in the Hideout, it only felt right to do a deep dive on all of the films, their plots, cultural impact, and even postulating just how things reached the point for the films to even come into existence. This is a THICC one, y'all, and it's going all over the place! And, considering the content about to be partaken of, yeah, this is an 18+ podcast. And this will be ABUNDANTLY clear with today's episode! So settle in, y'all, things are about to get weird.

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES!! This episode was originally planned to be a lighter episode, a bit more of a fun romp as it were, like the last Hot Pot. But, HOO BOY! The world has other plans! With the topics on deck tonight, this Hot Pot is going to be going HARD on the HEAT. We're talking Joe Rogan, NFTs, and so much more. So come on down, it's time to chill with your homies and go in on this Hot Pot because we've got PLENTY to go around!

Alright, 'Combies! The conversation is veering towards the East this time around, and we brought a friend to help us parse through the odds and ends of anime and manga. We're joined by fellow Imaginos Worksop cohort, Ervin Johnson of Shinig Otaku, and we're going all in on talking about the anime and manga industries, classics, favorites, firsts, and more! So take a seat and settle in for some geeky- OH! I mean, otaku shenanigans!

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! It is 2022 and your crew is back to weather the BS with you! So, as a welcome back after our holiday break, let's dive back into the fray with some bittersweet joy. The long-awaited cinematic event that was Spider-Man: No Way Home came and is still rocking the world with its aftershocks! So, come on down as Joe, Drew, and Christine dig into this massive movie moment and really look at the movie itself and how it has affected all of us. Spoilers ahoy so don't come down if you haven't seen it yet. But if you have, LET'S GO!!!

Alright, 'Combies! We're in the thick of the holiday season, the crew's going to be taking a bit of time off. But DON'T FRET! We'll be back in the new year, around mid to late January. So we won't be gone long. But! We've got a treat for you before our break! The latest MCU offering, Eternals, has been out for a good while now, and what better way to ring in the season than a dense, thought-provoking, mildly spastic, convoluted, but still fun conversation about how Eternals blows the MCU wide open with new possibilities and even more oddities. So come on down and let's get knee-deep into this fun, surprisingly heart-felt, and blatantly weird shit.

Alright, 'Combies! We've got some more spoopiness for y'all this week too! This time, the gamers are front and center as we've recently finished the latest entry in the Resident Evil series, 8, otherwise known as Village. Playing the game was a treat and we have so very many thoughts to share about it and our experiences with it. And yes, we will be discussing the THICC giant vampire lady. So, come on down and let's dive into old-world, spoopiness of Resident Evil 8: Village!

Alright, 'Combies! Spooky month may be over but when have you ever known us to be conventional? Christine is taking the wheel this episode with a review and a question/discussion centering around the sub- AND context of the first half of America Horror Story's season 10 subtitled "Red Tide". There's a lot going on here in regards to themes and messaging and HOLY SHIT, they have a lot to say about Hollywood. As usual, we're deep-diving on the insanity at play here and Christine and Druzy double-down on yeeting Joe further and into the world of horror. It's a helluva ride folks, so get comfy and get ready, 'cuz we're gettin' into it!

Alright, 'Combies! This week, we're diving into the world of Afrofuturism with one of the founders of Imaginos Workshop and an OG of the Honeycomb Hideout, Mark Dudley! We're going into a lot of the Whats, the Whos, and the Whys, but really going into the crust of what the genre means from a cultural level. On top of that, this episode also includes a number of reading recommendations for those of you that want to get a taste of what Afrofuturism has to offer and let them be your gateway into a wider, world of fiction and fantasy.

Reading Recommendations: "Parable of the Sower" by Octavia Butler, "The Fifth Season" by N.K. Jemisin, "BLACK" by Kwanza Osajyefo and Jamal Igle, and "Far Sector" by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell.

Check out these awesome titles and also don't forget to check out Mark's comic "Juda Fist" at: http://judafist.thecomicseries.com/

And if you dig any of them, feel free to leave a comment! 

Alright, 'Combies! Now, y'all know that comics are often at the heart of the geekery of the Honeycomb Hideout but there's still parts of comics we really haven't spent much time with lately. The X-Men has been an especially surprising blind spot of late, so today, we're fixing that! With the House of X/Powers of X relaunch from 2019 having been in effect for a while now and the X-Men still being one of the foremost allegories in comics for minorities, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented peoples, it felt like the right time to finally deep dive on this major turning point for Marvel's "merry" mutants and, I'll warn you now... this will not go the way you think. But don't let that stop you, so come on down and see what we get up to.

Alright, 'Combies! Everyone needs a little reprieve from time to time and thus one of those times has come from the Hideout. So we're doing something a little bit different on today's episode. Christine's taking the reins this time and we're doing... Buzzfeed quizzes! So come on down as we get up to some goof-tacular answers, responses, and tangents, and enjoy some punch-drunk antics from your favorite gaggle of giggly bitches.

UH OH, 'COMBIES! We've got another geek-out episode coming at you and this time? We're rootin' for the bad guys! Not only are we going to be reviewing James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, we're also going to be breaking down the previous film from 2016 directed by David Ayer. This one's THIIIIICCCCCCC, y'all, but fun (that's what she said!), so come on down and geek-out with your homies!

Better late than never, eh? Almost missed it but it's STILL uploaded on Wednesday so here we are, 'Combies! This week on the Honeycomb Hideout we're diving back into the depths for our topic and, as is our way, it's a little bit complicated. The history of crossdressing is lengthy and, as was stated, complicated, with some very strong feelings on every side of the issue. So, since we don't shy away from tough topics, Joe and Christine are about to wade right into the deep end of this, try to really parse through, and see if we can't get to the gooey center of this topic! So, come on down! Let's see if we can learn some shit and be better for it!

Alright, 'Combies! The Hideout is a wee bit low energy this time around but y'all know how we do, that ain't gonna last very long. LOL  The topic at hand this week is beloved but underrated things; properties that we all love but that love don't seem to extend beyond just us or a minimal few. Now, this sounds like a fun, light topic, right? But if you've been listening to us for more than a few episodes, you know that we won't just be leaving it at that level. So come on down, folks! It's Other Wednesday, so let's get into it!!

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! It's Disability Pride Month! As a podcast that puts a lot of effort into addressing diversity and issues of representation and, since the beginning of V3, we've had a discussion planned on the very topic and it finally felt like the right time to discuss this topic, and out of the crew, some of us absolutely have quite a bit to say regarding the frequent misrepresentations of people's with disabilities and how their representations in media have only just recently begun to change for the better but, like many things, still aren't where they need to be yet. So yeah, we're definitely getting deep into it this episode, so come on down and don't miss out on the conversation!

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES! Joe, Drew, and Christine are tackling a new topic from a new angle. Gaming in its many forms have become suffused into modern popular culture and societal interaction with video games seeming to be at the forefront of our ever-evolving interactive media. It's even evolving to a point where E-Sports are even starting to receive recognition and are even getting funding towards crafting full programs at universities. Considering the frequently dichotomous relationship society seems to have with video games, gaming culture receiving so much more attention is bound to have an effect worth analyzing, so that's JUST what we're going to do! So come on down and check out what your homies get up to with this nugget!

Alright, 'Combies! It actually happened! The first 2-parter of V3! We didn't get very far in our assessment and review of Invincible last episode, so we just had to come back and finish what we started. Things definitely heat up as we make our way through the rest of the season, so you'll want to make sure that you've seen all of season 1 of Invincible on Amazon Prime before listening to this episode because we're spoiling all of it, even some stuff from the comics. However, if you're all caught up on your comics and cartoons, then come on down and chill with your peeps as we breakdown and share our thoughts on the rest of Invincible season 1!

ALRIGHT, 'COMBIES!! Your peeps are here with a whole lotta something interesting this week. This episode we're going to be diving deep into what could actually be described as a pop culture milestone... a surprisingly decent quality adaptation of a superhero comic book property that wasn't made by Marvel or DC! That's right! We're talking about Invincible, the Amazon Prime animated series based on the comic by Robert Kirkman! See? He's not just the guy that made The Walking Dead. With a spectacularly stacked cast and plenty of twists galore, just what's this show's deal? Come on down and find out because we're getting all up into Invincible here in the Hideout!

OH! And spoilers ahoy.

Alright, 'Combies! We're switching gears a wee-bit for this episode. We've been hitting some pretty topical topics of late, so we decided to have a little fun and have a discussion that will in NO WAY offend or piss off ANYONE on the internet! We're talking about Waifus and Husbandos. y'all, across a wide array of anime, video games, etc. There will be agreements, encouragements, disappointments, or hypothetical suplexes. So come on down, y'all, and join in on the fun! If y'all like this one enough, we might do another one of these because the ocean of waifus and husbandos is vast and, frankly, we barely dipped a toe into it. 

Alright, 'Combies! We got ourselves a really interesting scenario to discuss today. It looks like Japan has been discussing a potential new law that could have some extremely complex and far-reaching consequences for cosplay culture moving forward. And on top of that, we also go down the winding road that is the nature and complexity of copyright in general, with a few "What Ifs" and real-life situations tossed around for flavor. So, come on down and let's get into it, y'all!