Doug Bost and Adam Bernstein are Grown Ass Men: Recent Episodes
Adam Bernstein
Writer Doug Bost and musician Adam Bernstein discuss the things that grown men shouldn’t care about -- but these guys do. What’s on the table? Only fun stuff. Episodes focus on all aspects of the comic book universe, from the warehouse of a professional comic book hoarder to interviews with some of the greatest comics creators alive -- Neal Adams, Klaus Jansen, Chris Claremont, and more. With frequent guests, Doug and Adam also cover movies, music, classic TV, and important topics like, “What musical style do you associate with James T Kirk?” (The answer, of course, is Wagner.) And the kicker: Original music by Adam Bernstein in each episode.
On our latest episode: The world’s greatest comic book shop opens its doors for the Grown Ass Men! We toured the amazing Metropolis Collectibles and invaded the sanctum sanctorum of suave head honcho Vincent Zurzolo to see the collection and hear stories of Vincent’s career, Harry Houdini’s handcuffs, Nicolas Cage’s stolen comics and tons more. Vincent’s theme by Adam Bernstein!
It started with an irresistible tweet: What are your favorite runs in comics? It’s the kind of easy/hard question grown ass men love to ask themselves, and this time it was being asked by writer Jimmy Palmiotti. Adam leapt into action, contacted Jimmy, and we made our lists. The conversation was a total pleasure because Jimmy’s not only knowledgeable and funny, he’s also a total fanboy of the comics he loves. We covered our favorite runs as well as some of the great work he’s done with the amazing Amanda Conner. Thanks for being on the show, Jimmy!
What’s your favorite 70s TV theme song? Hawaii 5-0? Laverne & Shirley? Don’t have one? Well, Adam & Doug are here to help, unearthing classics and rarities from simpler times when gas was way too expensive, war seemed just around the corner, and the Fonz hadn’t jumped any sharks. Tune in with us and fan-favorite guests Mary Micari and Sam Mastandrea!
It’s time for the official G.A.M. review of Matt Reeves’ The Batman -- and, to cover every Bat-angle, we’re pulling in Sam Mastandrea plus Bat-Authority Sean Wasson. This is also the ONLY podcast anywhere that will musically connect Paul Dano’s Brian Wilson with Paul Dano’s Riddler. Enjoy the Bat-earworm!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
To capture the amazing life of Steve Gerber, we went way beyond Wikipedia. We got great stories from the one and only Mary Skrenes (his writing partner on Howard the Duck, Omega the Unknown and more) along with Gerry Conway, Scott Edelman and JM DeMatteis. Plus music by Adam Bernstein! What more do you need?
“The idea that (Stan Lee could say), ‘Hey kids, write in and you can be part of this giant cultural project’ is transparently a lie -- and it also turned out to be true.” On this episode of the Grown Ass Men podcast, Douglas Wolk, author of All Of The Marvels, proves you can be super-nerdy and super-eloquent at the same time as he tells us about reading EVERY SINGLE MARVEL COMIC. He also sings a song about it! Pure pleasure, this one. Enjoy.
Original Music by Adam Bernstein
It's 2022 and Grown Ass Men are starting the year off right! In this episode we chat with comic book writer legend Gerry Conway! Gerry has written for both Marvel and DC (as well as TV and film) and created The Punisher, Ms. Marvel, Firestorm and many others. His work on Spider-Man includes some of the most well known loved issues in the history of the character. Don't miss this one!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
It's time for our annual holiday episode! The Grown Ass Men podcast team get together every December for a gift exchange where we always get what we want, comic books! A fun time is had by all. We also give a giant shout out to one of the all time great artists, George Perez.
J. M DeMatteis is comic book writer legend! His prolific work with Marvel, DC and many of the big independent companies are well respected within the industry. Grown Ass Men were lucky enough to spend time with him discussing his work on Spider-Man, The Defenders, Captain America. Justice League and his fantastic semi autobiographical graphic novel Brooklyn Dreams. You don't want to miss this one!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Grown Ass Men have been fans of Shang Chi and his Master of Kung Fu comic since it came out Dec 10, 1973. Well maybe we discovered it in 1974 but we, like so many other fans, regard these books as some of the best in the Marvel canon. When the new Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was released, we were first on line.
In this episode we review the movie, plus chat about our correspondence with the great MOKF artist Paul Gulacy. It's a good one and you don't want to miss it!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Special guest vocal on Shang Chi! by Sam Mastandrea
"Lets just say, whatever few bits of cool we had have been destroyed."
Yup, this is our nerdiest episode EVER, which is saying a lot. Grown Ass Men drove to Long Island, Maine and upstate New York just to look at peoples comics. In Maine, we did end up at a Comic Book store, so while that's not that unusual, it was still incredibly nerdy. But, we know you understand and want to hear all about it.
It comes down to this - Do you prefer Spiderman or the Thing?!
Join GAM as we geek out about the classic Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-In-One comics from the 70's. We debate what's better, the strange Super-Villain Team-Up books and the team-ups we hoped for but never came to fruition.
Don't miss it!
Original music from Adam "Warlock" Bernstein
Hard to believe now, but it used to be there was no such thing as Comedy Central. Then in the early 90s, Art Bell (and some other bright folks) came along and changed all that. Art also gave co-host Doug Bost his first job out of college, but to find out why that job was called “Cliptomaniac”, you’ll have to listen to our new episode. Art chats with us about his excellent new memoir, Constant Comedy, with stories about HBO mogul Michael Fuchs, Jon Stewart, and Bill Maher, to name a few. Jazzy score by Adam Bernstein, natch. Enjoy!
If you're a Mad Magazine fan, you know Al Jaffee! A legend in the comics industry, Al worked for tons of publications but was responsible for some of the longest, most endearing Mad Magazine features including the famous Fold In and Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions.
Al just turned 100 (!) so, along with the rest of the comics world, Grown Ass Men wanted to celebrate as well. Every party needs top notch guests so we called upon Karen Green (Curator for Comics and Cartoons at Columbia University Libraries) and R. Sikoryak (brilliant artist of Constitutional Illustrated and The Unquotable Trump). We had a great time discussing everything Jaffee.
So give a listen! A special shout out to Blythe Gruda, the amazing singer on Al Jaffee's theme song.
Original music by Adam Bernstein
WandaVision episode 5 is about to drop -- so it’s the perfect time for a spoiler-filled, Grown-Ass catch-up on the first 4 episodes. Hear wild educated guesses about who will appear next, and how this whole crazy thing might end, from Rhonda Goldstein, Steve Garvey, Joanna Parson, Graham Stevens, Sean Stoops and Art Dupras.
We’ve never done this before, but it was necessary to record a special emergency episode in response to the WW84 crisis. We have a lot of guests to help with this one. Good luck to all of you in this difficult time. Thanks to Mary Micari, Carolyn Bost, Acadia Bost, Jeff Ward, and Sam Mastandrea.
It’s the Great Grown Ass Grab Bag Gift Giving Guide! Anytime before Valentine’s Day is still the holidays to us, so enjoy these ideas for the grown ass man or woman in your life -- from Hans Gruber tree ornaments to Harrison Ford menorahs. This is what your loved ones REALLY want under the tree. We’ll also help you mix our signature seasonal cocktail! And you’ll dig the music by Adam Bernstein and Sam Mastandrea. Happy holidays, true believers!
Time flies in Grown Ass Men world. Last time we had comic book author/artist Jamar Nicholas on our show it was November 2016 (which shocked all of us!).
It's crazy times for everyone but great things are happening for Jamar and his character Leon. He just signed a publishing deal with Scholastic for multiple Leon books so it was perfect timing to catch up again. We chat about his deal, life during Covid and other comic book related stuff. Don't miss it!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
The US Constitution might seem -- well, frankly, boring. But not to R. Sikoryak. Do yourself a favor and check out our inspiring conversation with him about his book, ‘Constitution Illustrated’ (Drawn & Quarterly), and see how his amazing artwork kicks originalism to the curb, just in time for the election. It’s a perfect thing to listen to while standing in line to vote. Music by Adam Bernstein, natch.
It's summer in the city. It's not your typical Lovin Spoonful summer, it's a freaking Covid summer, so Grown Ass Men decided to dig into one of our fave topics; The Convincing. This is where we convince each other that you must check out this book.
This time is different though. We decided to do a musical "convincing" so we called upon honorary GAM and fantastic musician Sam Mastandrea to join us. We chat guilty pleasures, Prince, Hall and Oates, Jefferson Airplane and the great year 1977!
We also send a shout out to recently departed genius inker of Marvel's greatest, Joe Sinnott. You don't want to miss this one.
Original music by Adam Bernstein
As everyone knows, the coronavirus is doing damage through out the world. When Grown Ass Men recorded Ep. 77, the virus was just beginning to hit the US and we had no clue what was to happen shortly after. In NYC were we live, the numbers effected are extremely high and we recorded this episode under quarantine.
So what better topic than to discuss how superheros would deal this situation. Would Wolverine observe the quarantine? Does Bruce Banner have the virus if the Hulk contracts it? We also chat about the classic Marvel title What If. Honorary Grown Ass Man Sam Mastandrea joins us for the fun.
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Music is helping all of us in this crazy time. But you’re probably sick of listening to ‘Splendid Isolation’ by Warren Zevon on repeat. Well, the Grown Ass Men are here to help by diving deep into the great (and not-so-great) theme songs from James Bond movies, in our brand new quarantine episode! Featuring 007 superfan Gil Sembrano, this one will definitely give you some new tracks to listen to. Oh, and you’ll learn what Thom Yorke thinks is the sexiest song EVER. Stay well, friends!
Happy New Year folks! Hope everyone had a fantastic grown ass holiday where Galactus didn't devour your entire planet!
Every year at this time, Grown Ass Men have a tradition of acknowledging what we really want for the holidays (besides world peace) are comic books. This year we got the Superhero Holiday Grab Bag Treasury editions, so we had to chat about some of the weirdest collections of reprints in a giant over sided book ever put out. Our other tradition is to try to convince each other about other comic book related topics. This years "convincing" needed, uh, not much convincing. Give a listen!
Here's to a great 2020.
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
Ever since Stan Lee died just over a year ago, the Grown Ass Men have been talking about doing a Stan episode. Well, we got lucky because we got to interview writer and editor Danny Fingeroth just as his new book 'A Marvelous Life - The Amazing Story of Stan Lee' was just about to drop. Danny worked with Stan at Marvel and has been a big part of the comic book industry since the 70's! It's a great book which we highly recommend! Do not miss this episode!
http://dannyfingeroth.com
Original music by Adam Bernstein
On Oct 30th, 1938, radio listeners got a special Halloween gift from a man who would become one of the greatest film-makers ever, Orson Welles. An adaptation H.G. Wells' 'War of the Worlds' aired -- and people were panicked! Just what you want on Halloween, right? I guess it depends on who you ask. It's a must-listen radio program.
Grown Ass Men decided to revisit that historic radio program with Welles expert and friend of the show Jeff Ward. Jeff is a playwright, composer and actor and let's just say he's very knowledgable on this topic.
We also revisit the Marvel Comics War of the Worlds starring the rather mundane Killraven.
Check it out!
Original Music by Adam Bernstein.
Some things need to be digested properly in order to comment intelligently. But, we'll let you decide if we did that because here it is - our reaction to Avengers Endgame! Grown Ass Men have opinions for sure but apparently not enough because we brought honorary GAM Sam Mastandrea along for the ride! Check it out!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
The Marvel Comics Universe is on fire! At San Diego Comic Con, Marvel unveiled their Phase 4 plan which is an incredible group of films and TV shows featuring so many cool characters. Some of them we haven't see before like Shang-Chi and The Eternals. Super cool! GAM had to chime in so we did this quick shorty. Check it out!
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
Spider-Man fans are psyched for the new Far From Home film about to come out and Grown Ass Men are no different! Finally in this movie we get an appearance from one of Spider-Man's greatest villains; Mysterio! So we got honorary GAM Sam Mastandrea to join us for a conversation about Mysterio, some of the other great Spidey villains and some things we are reading right now. Don't miss it!
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
Sometimes you have to return to the source. These are tough times and when times are tough, you know who you have to call (hint: its not Ghostbusters). Yes, the first Avenger Captain America!
In this episode we called upon the Captain America expertise of Maine's own Sean Wasson. Sean's a veteran educator but more importantly, he owns every issue of Batman from 1967 on. Join us as we discuss all things Cap - nazi fighting Cap, 50's Cap, who's Cap's best sidekick and Ta-Nehisi Coates' new Marvel run. Check it out!
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
Welcome to Adstravaganza Part II! There's so much we wanted to cover about comic book advertising that we had to have a second episode; this one is jammed packed with Grown Ass Men goodness.
This time we have three fantastic special guests. Joseph Dasaro creates art inspired by comic book ads and even has some tattooed on his body. https://twitter.com/dasarosmith
Cultural expert Paco Taylor lays out the saga of the deadliest man alive, Count Dante! https://pacotaylor.contently.com
Last but not least its another visit with Grown Ass young person Acadia Bost who continues the melancholy tale of trying to raise sea monkeys.
Don't miss it!
Original Music by Adam Bernstein
Also follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/GAMcomicpodcast?lang=en
Any comic book fan, especially those who read comics in the 60's and 70's, will remember all the crazy ads that ran monthly across the pages. Perhaps you remember, Sea Monkeys, Count Dante, Raquel Welch pillows and other amazing items that you just had to have. Well, Grown Ass Men have always been super interested in these so we contacted an expert on the subject, Kirk Demarais. His book "Mail Order Mysteries" is a definitive look at the ads and what was going on behind the scenes. Also in this episode - a brand new cover of the Traits classic "Nobody Loves the Hulk" by Sam Mastandrea and Adam Bernstein. Give a listen folks!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Welcome to a Grown Ass Men 2019! It's only fitting that as dates actually start to look like Star Trek years, that we decided to explore the glorious past of old time radio!
If you're a NYC person and a fan of progressive radio station WBAI, there's a good chance you've come across Max Schmid and his radio show The Golden Age of Radio. Max has hosted this show since the 1977 and provides the airwaves with classic old time radio shows like The Shadow and The Jack Benny Program.
We sat down with Max in the WBAI studios now located in Brooklyn. Don't miss it!
Happy holidays folks! This season is a great one for the Grown Ass People in our orbit because we know we are getting some comics for presents. Yeah, maybe this lacks the element of surprise but who cares!? Do you really want any other gifts?!
Join us and our bunch of special guests as we chat Mr. Miracle, The Partridge Family, the other Hey Jude single and the exciting comics in our gift bags. See you in 2019!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Let it be known that Grown Ass Men likes a good art show. A comic book art show!? We are there. A year ago or so we went down to an amazing exhibit of Spider-Man original art at The Society of Illustrators in NYC. We had never seen so much original art (Ditko, Romita, Kane and many others) in one place, it was unreal! Turns out all this art was loaned to the Society by one of the biggest comic book art dealers, Mike Burkey. One look at Mike's website and you will be blown away by his collection. So, we got in touch to talk about his collecting and got some great stories too. Check it out!
Mike Burkey - http://www.romitaman.com
The Society of Illustrators - https://www.societyillustrators.org
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Remember 1974?
Along with all the comics Grown Ass men bought back then (which was a lot!) we also bought magazines! What a surprise! In this episode we chat with great comic creator R. Sikoryak, in order to figure what's great about Mad, Cracked, Sick, Crazy and National Lampoon back in 1974. We also check into Sikoryak's fantastic work which can be found here - http://rsikoryak.com
Don't miss this one!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Folks, how is it that Grown Ass Men is 63 episodes in and we haven't discussed the great film/TV franchise Planet of the Apes!?
Well we know that's unacceptable so here we go!
We chat the original five films, the forgettable Marky Mark ones and the fantastic recent three. To reminisce about the TV show and some other 1970's Saturday morning classics we call upon chief memory stirrer Carolyn Baeumler Bost.
You do not want to miss this one!
This is a re airing of episode 5 from July 8th 2015. Here's the original description.
In this episode we're lucky enough to talk with special guest actor/writer Mary Micari! Join us as we discuss Ant-Man, The Avengers, the Bionic Women, Wonder Women and what super powers we'd like to have. Don't miss it! Original music by Adam Bernstein
Like you, Grown Ass Men like games. When you're comic freaks like us, you figure you can create some great heroes and villains too. So we called the funny creative Sam Mastandrea to join the festivities and play what eventually became named the Gerber Game (for Steve Gerber, not the baby food). Join as we explore The Human Porch! Don't miss it!
Original music from Adam Bernstein.
“What if things had turned out differently ? Only I know…
For I am the Watcher, and mine is the power to see what was… And what might have been !”
Yup, in this episode we explore the cosmos' greatest observer, The Watcher! We chat about the history of The Watcher in Strange Tales, What If and of course his origins in Fantastic Four.
We also talk about some of our favorite current shows and how we're having a hard time getting through Jessica Jones.
Give a listen!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
The buzz about the new Black Panther film is everywhere and for good reason, it's the best of the superhero movies. Grown Ass Men loved the film so we discuss it, the fan reactions, and Black Panther in the comic books. We also chat about Doug's trip on Disney's Marvel Day at Sea Cruise and how they befriended Loki. Don't miss this one!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
When it comes to Star Wars vs. Star Trek, Grown Ass Men take a radical stance; why compare? Let's just rate them all as one great collection of science fiction. That's a big task for anyone but we knew to call award-winning American stage actor, singer and narrator Robert Petkoff! Besides Robert's great accomplishments on the stage and screen, he's an expert on both shows and records voiceovers on the recent Star Trek audiobooks.
Don't miss this one, take a listen!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
What do you really want for the holidays? Peace on earth? Good will towards beings? Not setting the alarm? A different looking Congress?Binge watching every Cagney movie? While all of those are pretty damn cool, when it comes down to it, Grown Ass Men determined that all we want are comic books. Feel the same? We know you do. Check out this episode!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Want to know the real story between Marvel and DC? Want to hear the behind the scenes stories of the 50-year battle between the two comic book industry power houses? Well Grown Ass Men did so we asked the author of the great new book Slugfest by Reed Tucker to join us on latest episode (available everywhere through Da Capo publishing)! Don't miss it!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
It's the eve of the release of Thor: Ragnarok and Grown Ass Men had to chime in. We're both huge Thor fans so we are using this grand occasion to discuss the very first Thor stories from Journey Into Mystery, lesser known artist Al Hartley, and why we think Thor is so cool. It's a good one, don't miss it!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
In this episode, Grown Ass Men take a diversion from their regular comic book culture topics to discuss one of our favorite bands, the incomparable Steely Dan. With the passing of Walter Becker, both of us were compelled to discuss him and Steely Dan as we are both gigantic fans. Going back to the 70's, Steely Dan produced some of the most unique, satisfying music and we've both been obsessed with them ever since. Take a listen!
And also take a listen to Doug Bost's radio play "The Dan" which can be found here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwGwXlNzZ_8
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Back in August, Grown Ass Men had the great opportunity to visit the Society of Illustrators in NYC (https://www.societyillustrators.org) for the Spiderman original art exhibit. The private collection focused on John Romita Sr's incredible art but there were also gems by Steve Ditko, Gil Kane, Ross Andru and other well known artists. We brought honorary GAM Sam Mastandrea along and like proper comic geeks we had a great time checking out the art we know and love so well. Check out Doug's interview with the Society of Illustrators social media and marketing coordinator Jason Goodfriend and we introduce our new game show Verbatim! Who said it? Was it Trump or one of comic books worst villains!?
Listen and find out!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
In the DC universe, Wonder Woman is one of our greatest heroes. The recent film starring Gal Godot is one the best of all the superhero movies that have been released, so over here at Grown Ass Men headquarters we've been talking about the film a lot. To celebrate, Grown Ass Men interviewed some of our favorite women to get their views on the film and what it means in the current climate. Give a listen!
Orignal music by Adam Bernstein
Joseph Scrimshaw is a super funny, intelligent, writer and comedian. When it comes to expertise on Star Wars, Star Trek, comic book films and other important geek topics, Grown Ass Men call on Joseph. He's appeared on our show before with his featured "Scrimshaw's Rants" and this is our first full length interview with him. You do not want to miss it! Listen!
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
Welcome to Grown Ass Men episode 50! We're very psyched to celebrate this momentous occasion with an extra special episode about our favorite Batman, Adam West! To help us in our celebration we called upon writer, director Jack Perez! We chat Batman, other great moments from Adam West's career and Jack's film with Adam West, Monster Island. Listen! Share! Wish us a happy 50!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Ever wonder what a comic book inker really does? We did, so Grown Ass Men asked the best in the business, Klaus Janson, to share his thoughts on the subject! This is Part II of our interview with Klaus, and listen for the special tour we got of his studio! Check it out, true believers!
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
When you think of the most influential comic creators of the last 50 years, it's inevitable that Klaus Janson's name will come up. His work on Daredevil, and The Dark Knight which he created with Frank Miller, changed the industry. Klaus has worked on almost every major Marvel and DC character and has inked many of the greatest pencillers in comics history.
Grown Ass Men were lucky enough to be invited into his home studio where we chatted about many topics, enough for two episodes. In this first one, we discuss his work with Frank Miller, his new series Sacred Creatures with Pablo Raimondi, and how he learned English differently from you and I.
Listen!
Better, stronger, faster. Yup, Grown Ass Men have returned with another power packed episode where we chat the most 70's of 70's shows, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman! Join us as we revisit the magic of bionics, the weirdness of Oscar Goldman, professional wrestling and of course, Farrah Fawcett!
On the eve of the new Netflix Iron Fist series, Grown Ass Men were excited to discuss the series with one of the actors in the series Carolyn Baeumler Bost! We discuss the show, the Iron Fist origin story and how TV is such a great place for writers these days. It's a great episode, give a listen!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Every now and then it's good to revisit the classics. If you take a look at lists that discuss the greatest storylines in comics, The Infinity Gauntlet is high on most lists. This classic series by Jim Starlin, George Perez, Ron Lim and Josef Rubinstein is loaded with the most powerful of the Marvel Universe as they tackle the most cosmic of villains, Thanos. If you don't know Thanos, check out the upcoming Marvel movies, he's going to loom large! Grown Ass Men chat it all.
It’s all about the music on this episode -- Mr. Jaws, King of Fuh, The Streak -- novelty music, with plenty of demented samples! Plus an interview with special Grown Ass guest Rob Kelly from the great Power Records Podcast (https://twitter.com/FWPodcasts), talking about superhero LPs, and Doug wins five bucks from Adam. Don’t miss it!
Let's admit it folks, these are trying times and GAM needed to chime in on the state of the country. Seeing we're comic book nerds, we couldn't help but fantasize about some super powerful hero or villain coming to save the day! (Thanks, Mighty Mouse.) So we came to you, Grown Ass Fans, to tell us who you thought would be best suited to take care of the situation. Welcome to the Disruptor!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
At Grown Ass Men enterprises we like to make an effort to discuss new and classic comics that the other may not know. This is the third of "convincing" episodes we've done and this one explodes with a discussion of comics you must check out!
Along with the classic Bronze Age series Marvel Premiere, we also discuss two great new books; Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire/Dean Ormston and Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan/Cliff Chiang, both really worth checking out!
As a bonus you'll get to hear the only Legion of Monsters song and what is probably the shortest song ever written. Give a listen!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Welcome to a Grown Ass Men 2017! We wanted to start this year with a bang so we chose a topic everyone has an opinion about; what's better, Star Wars vs. Star Trek!? We certainly have our thoughts about it and we asked folks in the GAM community what they thought as well. It's a fun episode, give a listen!
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
When you think of the giants of the comic book industry, its inevitable that Chris Claremont will be at the top of the list. He joined the Marvel Comics Bullpen in the early 70's and went on to pen some of the greatest stories in comics. Besides his classic work on Iron Fist, New Mutants, Batman, Fantastic Four and others, he basically elevated the rebooted X-Men team to the most popular in comics. Many of the X-Men and Wolverine movies are based on his stories.
Two weeks ago in December, Grown Ass Men sat down via phone with Chris for an interview. Amazingly, he has a near perfect memory about everything! We chat early influences, his start at Marvel, what he's up to now and, of course, the Uncanny X-Men. Don't miss it!
Happy holidays and thanks for listening fans! We'll catch you in 2017!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
In the spirit of the great NYC comic book heroes, Grown Ass Men like adventures in a good ole' warehouse. A few weeks ago, we traveled to the recesses of Sunset Park, Brooklyn to get a private visit with Joe Koch, owner of the Koch Comics Warehouse. Any comic book fan would be blown away by the sheer volume of collectibles and we were no different. Besides touring the premises, we got a chance to talk to the owner, Joseph Koch, a comic book store veteran who's incredibly knowledgable about the industry. Enjoy!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
We met Jamar Nicholas at NYC Comic Con. We were both taken in by his fantastic adaptation of Geoffrey Canada's book Fist Stick Knife Gun.
We spoke with Jamar from his home in Philadelphia, where he's originally from. We talked about his great graphic novel, his love of comic strips, difficulties of urban inner city life and his upcoming book, Leon. Don't miss it!
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
It's election time but we don't have to tell you that.
In this most unprecedented election season, Grown Ass Men needed to chime in on the current political scene. We chat the great fiction characters who ran for political office, Martin Sheen from West Wing, the mayor from Ex-Machina and our favorite, Howard the Duck! Check it out! And don't forget to vote!
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
Two of Marvel's greatest make appearances in this brand spankin' new Grown Ass Men episode, Luke Cage and The Vision. We chat about the Vision's powers, his new comic and share our excitement about the Luke Cage Netflix series. Don't miss it!
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
It's episode thirty five Grown Ass Men fans! On the eve of our historic visit to NY Comic Con 2016, we asked the ever entertaining Sam Mastandrea to join us in accepting a lighting round of questions about comic and music. Also, check out Sam's story about how to weather an untrusting relationship by taking a trip to your local comic book shop. It's classic!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Man-Thing vs. Swamp Thing. It's like Ali vs Frazier or Yankees vs. Red Sox. It's one of the great match ups to discuss. Who's cooler? Who's more interesting? Who smells worse?
Join Grown Ass Men for another action packed episode where we chat these beasts and their brilliant creators, Steve Gerber, Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson, and Alan Moore.
Don't miss it!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
When Grown Ass Men Doug Bost and Adam Bernstein were coming up, they both shared the comic book experience with their brothers. In this episode, we share memories of favorite books, favorite characters, and descriptions of where we bought comics, in this case, Maine and New Jersey. We were also lucky enough to interview the Micari siblings about their feelings about comics then and now. Give a listen!
Motorcycles. They’re just cool. There’s no debate about that. But there’s always a little debate over which comic book hero looks most awesome riding a badass hog. Ghost Rider? Cap? Batgirl? Black Widow? In this episode we explore these pulse-pounding questions with special guests Jimmy Dean Horn and Mary Micari. Climb on back, true believer — we’re hitting the road.
Original music by Adam Bernstein
The movie business is a wild entity. We've all seen movies we love and hate but what about the movies that never get made?
Who better to discuss the ins and outs of this mega industry than successful screenwriter, producer, director Bryan Goluboff! Bryan has written for the TV shows Blue Bloods, Law and Order and great films such as The Affair and Basketball Diaries. He's a fellow Brooklyn resident. We got together in the July heat in the midst of crazy world events and political times. As Brooklynites do.
In this episode, Grown Ass Men discuss Shazam, The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, The Harder They Come and why some of the best movies never get made.
Original music by Adam Bernstein
After Grown Ass Men had the pleasure of joining Kevin Geeks Out's live show on death, we realized we had more to discuss about the subject.
So we asked -
Why do superheroes always work out before carrying other dead heroes? Why do dead heroes never stay dead?
Which heroes would we like to see killed?
And most importantly, why does Uncle Ben stay dead? Join us and see!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
This week: Dive into the depths of Sherwood Kiraly’s cardboard box of comics! We went on location for this one, to the home of novelist, screenwriter, and Cubs victim Sherwood Kiraly in Galesburg, IL. Sherwood takes us back in time to his own misadventures as a young fan of western comics, explains why Kang the Conqueror is like a slow-burn comic, and weighs in on whether the Vision and Scarlet Witch should think about having kids already. All with original music by Adam Bernstein!
There's more to Grown Ass Men than superheroes saving the galaxy from the dastardly! Grown Ass Men love romance! That's why we invited popular author Jeanne Martinet (The Art of Mingling) to discuss her hilarious, innovative, insightful book, Truer than True Romance. We knew she was a great comic writer but we also found she plays some great ukelele too! Join us for another great episode!
http://www.jeannemartinet.com
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Grown Ass Men don't know about you but when we detect trouble in with ghosts, extraterrestrial life, unidentified flying objects, etc., we might not call Ghostbusters.
Who do we call? Yes, the world's greatest paranormal investigator, Hellboy!!
Listen as Doug and Adam are joined by filmmaker, writer, comedian Meg Sweeney Lawless to discuss Mike Mignola's greatest character, Hellboy.
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
Our 1st anniversary show! Yes, it’s our Grown Ass birthday, and to celebrate we’re dramatizing a classic comic: Challengers of the Unknown #47 from 1965! Listen in as we turn a comic book into an audio play, featuring Adam, Doug and some spectacular NYC actors: Carolyn Bost, Acadia Bost, M. Sweeney Lawless, Mary Micari, Doug Tysk and Jeff Ward. Original music is, of course, by Adam Bernstein.
We’ll post a video version soon, but for now check out the issue we’re dramatizing here: http://bit.ly/23HlorI And thanks to Megan Barbour for bringing the Sponge Man to our attention in the first place! Enjoy -- and here’s to Year 2 of Grown Ass Men!
In episode 21, Grown Ass Men had the daunting task of convincing each other of a comic to read. It was such a success we've returned with, yup, you guessed it, Bride of the Convincing!
In this Grown Ass Men, these important questions were explored -
Why did Superman go to the nude swimming hole?
Why does Adam know Swamp Thing's first appearance?
What's really up with Conan the Barbarian?
and the most crucial question,
Which Marvel character gets laid regularly and what can we learn from that?
Join us folks, it's a good one!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Our conversation with the uncanny Steve Farrell was just to good to fit in just one episode so here you have it - Superman vs Batman Part II! In this episode we chat about the Superman TV show starring George Reeves from the 50's and the current film starring Ben Affleck. This episode includes a live on the scene report by Doug and Adam reviewing the film. Don't miss it!
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
Eventually you have to discuss Superman and Batman, it can't be Man-Thing all the time, you know? In this episode, Grown Ass Men (with special guest Steve Farrell) talk the 60's Batman TV show, writer Lorenzo Semple, Jr., Shazam! and most importantly, the movie we all want made, Batman vs. Sub-Mariner. Listen!
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
The Man Without Fear. Ol' hornhead. Matt Murdock.
In this episode, Grown Ass Men chat one of Marvel's greatest heroes, Daredevil! When Daredevil got into the hands of Frank Miller and later, Brian Michael Bendis, the Daredevil books became some of the best ever conceived. Listen as we talk about Daredevil's great creative teams, the great Netflix series and the horrible movie from 2003.
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
Let it Begin! Yes, it's time for The Convincing! In this super hilarious episode of Grown Ass Men, Doug and Adam try to convince each other to read a comic. To be honest, it isn't much of a struggle. Don't miss it!
To celebrate our 20th episode we invited writer/comedian Kevin Maher, host of the fantastic comedy-variety show Kevin Geeks Out, to join us in geekdom.
In this episode we discuss Plop!, Mad magazine, pre-code horror comics, Steve Ditko and what super power does Kevin want.
Have a listen! Original music by Adam Bernstein
Check the Kevin Geeks Out website here - http://kevingeeksout.com
In this episode we chat with our youngest fan, Acadia Bost, who just happens to be the 9-year old daughter of our very own Doug Bost. Acadia has some definite opinions about super-powers, super-weaknesses, and especially the title of our show. Featuring the original hit single ‘Acadia Knows’ by Adam Bernstein.
One episode wasn't enough when it came to interviewing legendary comic book creator Neal Adams! This time we discuss pushing the boundaries of comic book topics with Green Lantern/Green Arrow, the challenging of the comics code authority, his iconic covers and meeting Muhammed Ali! Have a listen!
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
You got to start the new year off with a bang so Grown Ass Men interviewed the legendary comic book creator, Neal Adams! In part one of a two part interview we discuss Neal Adams important contributions as an advocate for creator rights. He's been in the industry for over 50 years and he has some great stories! Give a listen! Happy 2016! Original music by Adam Bernstein.
Batman, Master of Kung Fu, Thor, the Hulk, Conan. These are just some of the titles that legendary comic book writer Doug Moench wrote. He created Moon Knight, Deathlok, and the famous Batman villain , Bane. Simply put, Doug Moench is an industry giant and Grown Ass Men were lucky enough to interview him. Doug has loads of great stories about working in the Marvel Comics bullpen, working on attaining creator rights for writer/artists in the industry and writing all the great characters that are staples of the superhero world.
Please enjoy our last episode for 2015! Happy holidays and see you in the New Year!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
The amazing, spectacular, friendly neighborhood Spiderman. In this episode, Grown Ass Men discuss the best, Marvel Comics Spiderman. In the mid 70's, Gerry Conway and Ross Andru produced a fantastic run; in particular issues 138- 150. Loaded with tons of classic villains, one of Spidey's greatest foes, The Jackal really makes Peter Parker freak out when he clones his dead girlfriend Gwen Stacy. These are classic issues! Give a listen, we know you'll also end up wondering if you're real or a clone too!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
In this brand spanking new episode, Grown Ass Men take it to the people!
We love to hear your stories of how comic books affected your lives. Where did you buy them? What was the store like? Any interesting romantic encounters involving comics? Which hero or villain did you have a crush on?
Check out these great interviews with Dave Baeumler, Mike Gibbs,
Tucker Johnson, Adan Romero, Lizz Leiser, and Sam Bruehl! And of course, send us your great stories. We want to hear them!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
In this slamming episode we interview legendary comic book artist Paul Gulacy! Gulacy has drawn Batman, Catwoman, Six from Sirius, Sabre, to name a few. His work on Master of Kung Fu with writer Doug Moench set a new standard for great looking, sophisticated, intelligent comic books in the mid 1970's. We discuss his early influences, how Master of Kung Fu was developed and Bruce Lee. Check it out, its a great one!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Grown Ass Men are back with a karate chop to the pelvis! In this exciting episode, we discuss Shang-Chi and the Sax Rohmer characters that make up the Doug Moench/Paul Gulacy masterworks, Master of Kung Fu. Of course, you can't discuss these books without mentioning the legendary Bruce Lee. Check it out and enjoy!
Ok, who's the worst super villain out there? In this episode, Grown Ass Men (with special guest Sam Mastandrea) tackle this question, with hilarious results. Join us as we discuss the Big Wheel, Bi-Beast, Blastarr the living Bomb-Burst and Armless Tiger-man.
Don't miss it!
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
Friends! Join us on a journey to the land of the mystic arts as we talk all things Dr. Strange! Musician Sam Mastandrea joins us as we chat Marvel Treasury Editions, Steve Ditko and a possible field trip to Dr. Strange's abode on Bleecker St., NYC. Don't miss it!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Folks! Sometimes Grown Ass Men are lucky ass men!! In this episode the talented, amazing, playwright Crystal Skillman joins us to discuss the play King Kirby she wrote with Fred Van Lente. We chat Jack Kirby, his collaborations with Stan Lee, Roz Kirby, and the Denver Comic Con. Check it out!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Big thanks to Midtown Comics Podcast for use of King Kirby clips. http://midtowncomics.libsyn.com
Reed. Sue. Johnny. Ben. They might not get their due on the big screen, but the Fantastic Four get the full treatment on this episode of Grown Ass Men! We discuss the three issues of Lee & Kirby's FF from 1965 that might just be the greatest issues of any comic -- ever. Also, we talk about what it looked like when Galactus wore those cute shorts. Original music by Adam Bernstein.
And there are two links you should definitely look at.
Galactus' ever-changing costume colors are here:
http://whencallsgalactus.com/files/2013/08/Galactus-Color-Job1.jpg
And Johnny's awesome headshot from FF #49 is here:
http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/dynamics/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2012/09/FantasticFour49-151.jpg
In this episode we depart from our recent reminiscing of our comic book pasts to discuss the great comic book artist Joe Maneely! Joseph "Joe" Maneely was an American comic book artist best known for his work at Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics, where he co-created the Marvel characters the Black Knight, the Ringo Kid, the Yellow Claw, and Jimmy Woo. Listen to Doug tell the story of discovering Maneely's original art discarded by Marvel.
Original music by Adam Bernstein.
In this episode we discuss all things Warlock! Join us as we travel the space ways with Adam Warlock, Thanos, and Pip the Troll. It's our most cosmic episode yet! Jim Starlin fans, this one's for you!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
In this episode we're lucky enough to talk with special guest actor/writer Mary Micari! Join us as we discuss Ant-Man, The Avengers, the Bionic Women, Wonder Women and what super powers we'd like to have. Don't miss it!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
In this episode we are joined by writer/filmmaker Dave Baeumler. We discuss where we bought comics, Howard the Duck, Omega the Unknown, and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Original music by Adam Bernstein
This episode we discuss Steve Gerber, Omega the Unknown and the Champions!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Writer/actor Doug Bost and musician Adam Bernstein discuss comic books and their memories associated with them. They might not be qualified to do so, but they do it anyway! Why? Because they're Grown Ass Men!
Original music by Adam Bernstein
Writer/actor Doug Bost and musician Adam Bernstein discuss comic books and their memories associated with them. They might not be qualified to do so, but they do it anyway! Why? Because they're Grown Ass Men!
Original music by Adam Bernstein