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Recommended if You Like: longform conversation with musicians, cartoonists, writers and other creative types. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Comics Obscura Podcast is less a news and review cast and more a locus of ideas. We want to talk about comics in a critical way to spark interesting and enlightening conversations about the medium. We use our platform to celebrate comics of all types--from the mainstream superheroes to the indie darling--and hope to create engaging podcasts that inspire readers to approach comics with a critical eye.
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Meltdown podcast producer and anime fanatic Mason Booker leads a discussion with notable guests Raven Night, Zehra Fazal and others about classic anime series from years gone by that people may or may not have heard of or seen before. Delving deep into the interpretations, structure, myths, and meanings behind the characters and the story of each series the show strives to shed new light about the influences and culture around the anime series themselves as well as the people who made them. ...
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The Workbench is an ode to the power of objects. The EP is the celebration of the titular possession Brian Harnetty inherited when his father passed. It's an tribute to a man who could seemingly "fix anything," a trait the musician admits he did not inherit. The younger Harnetty is, however, a whiz at creating songs with his hands, incorporating a …
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September marks 25 years since the release of 69 Love Songs. The landmark triple-album cemented frontman Stephin Merritt's states as one of the finest songwriters of his generation. A quarter-century later, the songs don't always come as easily to Merritt. At his most prolific, however, the musician wrote more than enough to carry him through the r…
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Paul London & Zak Shaffer interview legendary announcer and commentator for World Class Championship Wrestling, Marc Lowrance! Marc Lowrance's signature voice and cadence set the tone for some of the greatest moments in professional wrestling. You’ll hear how he got his start in the business, working for Fritz Von Erich, a truly embarrassing moment…
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Ten years is forever in the rock world. There were times it seemed Camera Obscura might never return. The 2015 death of longtime keyboard player Carey Lander put the group’s future in limbo. For the first time since the mid-90s, the band went on indefinite hiatus. An invitation to perform at the Belle & Sebastian curated Boaty Weekender cruise brou…
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Territory Marks kicks off season two with a bang! Paul London and Zak Shaffer discuss One Man Gang vs Kerry Von Erich from World Class Championship Wrestling’s Parade of Champions 2 (1985)! This is the pre-episode to P & Z’s upcoming interview with WCCW announcer and commentator, Marc Lowrance! Watch the match here: One Man Gang vs Kerry Von Erich …
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This month on 80s Kids Unite, Zak, Dustin, Corey, Diallo, and Paul London discuss the cultural significance of Live Aid ‘85 and which one of the Night Boyz actually remembers the event. A huge THANK YOU to Patreon member, Kerry Ahern for suggesting this topic! 80s Kids Unite is a monthly Two Dollar Late Fee / Podcasting After Dark crossover show po…
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For our conversation, Emel Mathlouthi popped into a Brooklyn coffee shop. It’s a little cacophonous, but also a fitting microcosm of the city she now calls home. The musician moved to the States after a stint in Paris, but a part of her home country of Tunisia always remains close. As she broadens her cultural and musical horizons, the North Africa…
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Fifteen years is forever in the world of popular music. But the number doesn't tell the whole story. While it's been a decade-and-a-half since Mary Timony released her last solo record, the low-key guitar god has been plenty busy. She's released a pair of albums as part of Ex Hex, a record with indie rock supergroup Ex Hex with members of Sleater K…
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Few individuals have left as an indelible a mark on late-20th century American popular culture as Don Was. As a producer, he work includes some of music’s biggest names, including Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and Iggy Pop. In the 80s, he found success on the other side of the microphone as one-half of the Was (Not Was). In 2012, he became the pres…
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Health scares have a way of prioritizing things. For Lauren Denitzio, undergoing heart surgery at the young age of 25 brought one key priority into sharp focus: music. Since then, the musician has approached their creative venue Worriers as a form of pure expression, both musically and emotion. The band's earnest, joyful music has earned it a place…
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Ducks Ltd. arrived out of nowhere with 2019's Get Bleak. The tight four-song EP offered grad-level crash course on perfect indie pop hits. This year's Harm's Way find the group plumbing the kind of jangle pop that made 2021's Modern Fiction a critical darling. Tom McGreevy, the singing/rhythm guitar playing half of the duo joins us to discuss life …
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Territory Marks honors Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat this month! Paul & Zak welcome Dustin Rubin from Two Dollar Late Fee to celebrate matches and highlights from Steamboat’s storied career! Notable moments from Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat featured during this episode are his guest spot of the short lived tv show Sidekicks, one of his best matches …
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There are more than a few points when Hey Panda sounds like the work of an entirely different band. The songwriting is sharp as ever, but Sean O'Hagan gleefully pushes the High Llamas into new directions. It's an impressive accomplishment in itself more than three decades after the band's formed. O'Hagan was already a music industry vet by the time…
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This month on 80s Kids Unite, Zak, Dustin, Corey, and Diallo discuss which martial arts moves they wish they could do, growing up. It’s a silly but fun discussion about everything from “NUMBchucks” to ninjas and all the “Danialsons” in between. A huge THANK YOU to Patreon member, David Ullman for suggesting this topic! 80s Kids Unite is a monthly T…
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In 1970, Mayo Thompson released his only solo record to date. It's a strange thing to write 50 years later, especially given the Texas-born musician's wildly prolific career as the sole consistent member of the eclectic and enigmatic Red Krayola. Ignored in many circles upon its release, Corky has grown in stature over the decades, which -- much li…
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The legend of McLusky has grown greatly since the the group's initial breakup in 2005. The release of the three-disc Mcluskyism compilation is no doubt reasonable for much of that prolonged success. So, too, are the members' post-McLusky projects, including Future of the Left. Formed by ex-members Andrew Falkous and Jack Egglestone shortly after br…
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After half-a-decade with Montreal's dreamy synth pop group Tops, Marta Cikojevic took her own turn in the spotlight in 2022. The eponymous debut of her project Marci finds the musician embracing dance music, with one foot planted in yacht rock's golden era. Prior to her time in music, Cikojevic had a flourishing career in modeling that took her aro…
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Paul & Zak are back with two picks from the Territories that’ll make your back crack and your liver quiver! Zak’s pick is from the AWA in 1985, Jim Brunzell & Greg Gagne aka The High Flyers vs Animal & Hawk aka “The Legion of Doom” The Road Warriors with their manager “Precious” Paul Ellering. Paul continues the heat from WCCW in 1988 with”The Mode…
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For a few decades now, it seems like Doug Gillard is everywhere. He's the second longest tenured member of the wildly prolific Guided By Voices, behind frontman, Robert Pollard, having been in and out (mostly in) of the band since the mid-90s. He is also a long-time guitarist for alternative rock stalwarts, Nada Surf, having played with the group s…
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We kick off the first episode of 80s Kids Unite with Garbage Pail Kids! Zak, Dustin, Corey, and Diallo all discuss their familiarity (or lack thereof) with the disgusting trading cards Topps began printing in 1985, and whether or not they hold up nostalgically! The boys also talk about the terrible 1987 film based on the brand. A huge THANK YOU to …
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On 2022’s self-titled debut, BLKBOK enlisted poet (and English teacher) Lauren Delaphena to record spoken work tracks, which served to break up instrumental tracks. For the follow up, Charles Wilson III gave the job to his therapist, Dr. Felicia Thomas. Plenty of albums can be described as “deeply personal,” but in that respect, 9 is on another lev…
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By the time Roaming arrived last year, it had been nearly a decade since This One Summer, the last collaboration between cousins Jillian and Mariko Tamaki. The comic was their second joint project, follow 2008's award-winning debut, Skim. This One Summer won the pair an Eisner, Ignatz and Coldecott, before running afoul of overzealous censorship bo…
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World records can be tricky things. Rules enforced by governing bodies can disqualify potential contenders. While there was no likelihood of enshrinement at the finish line, Pocket Vinyl went for it nevertheless and got their own book in the process. How to Completely Lose Your Mind finds bandmates and husband/wife duo Elizabeth Jancewicz and Eric …
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There's no one quite like Gogol Bordello. The band has cultivated a wildly joyful mix of Romani and Ukrainian music, crossed with punk, polka and any other genre that might suitable serve the chaos. Eugene Hütz stands in the eye of the storm, as frontman and ringleader. Growing up in Ukraine studying English language punk and folk, Hütz and family …
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By her early 20s, Veronica Swift was a jazz veteran. The daughter of musicians (pianist Hod O'Brien and singer Stephanie Nakasian), she recorded her debut at age nine. Swift’s career has taken its share of turns, including a rock opera in which she played a killer nun, composed while studying music at the University of Miami. Last year’s self-title…
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What does “Stinkor” smell like? What are the lyrics to “Degrassi Junior High?” Is Chuck Norris really a “man of action?” Find the answers to these questions and more on 80s Kids Unite! Here’s the audio from last December’s Los Angeles Comic Con panel hosted by Z and D from $2 Late Fee, Corey and Diallo from Podcasting After Dark & TV Obscura, & Pau…
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David Von Erich as a “heel” and Kerry, Kevin, & Mike Von Erich show love for their favorite pizza parlor! Paul London & Zak Shaffer discuss David Von Erich’s “heel” run in Championship Wrestling From Florida and spotlight commercials starring the Von Erich’s! P & Z also reminisce on He-Man and The Masters Of The Universe! Links to clips discussed i…
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Place invariably has a profound impact on the art we make. Immigration melds cultures and creative output, a phenomenon embodied by musical cross pollination. Movement, which began its second season this year, explores the lives and works of immigrant musicians. It’s a subject that is near and dear to the podcast’s host, Meklit Hadero, whose music …
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As day jobs go, one could do a lot worse than composer. Classically trained at Yale, Ellis Ludwig-Leone spends much of his time writing music for institutions including the New York City Ballet. By night, he’s the principal songwriter and ostensible leader of San Fermin, whose indie-inclined chamber pop has earned a steady following and critical ac…
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Hot off the heels of A24’s The Iron Claw, Paul & Zak pay tribute to the Von Erich family with a pair of matches that highlight the glory days of World Class Championship Wrestling & the fabled dynasty! David Von Erich battles “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin in a “valet for a day” match, while Kevin & Kerry Von Erich take on “The Dynamic Duo” Gino Hernandez…
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With a name borrowed from the Get Up Kids’ second EP, Red Letter Days finds front man Matt Pryor delving deep into personal stories. The memoir was adapted – in part – from the musician’s journals, beginning with his childhood diabetes diagnoses, through his musical journey. Formed in Kansas in the mid-90s, the Get Up Kids went on to become one of …
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Survival Guide is, for all intents and purposes, Emily Whitehurst. What began as collaboration evolved into a solo act. For the project’s fourth album, deathdreams, the musician has continued to push her limits, playing nearly every instrument on its 11 tracks. Whitehurst has had plenty of collaborative projects over the years, including her stint …
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Plenty of pioneers aren’t sufficiently recognized in their time. Fanny had its share of high profile champions, from David Bowie to Steely Dan, but nothing amounting to the level of stardom they might have achieved had they come around a decade later. The band’s legend has only grown in subsequent decades, however. More than a quarter-century after…
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A deeply personal meditation on life, art and surviving capitalism, Time Under Tension further establishes MS Harkness as a formative voice in auto-bio comics. The book – her first for Fantagraphics – follows the Uncivilized Books titles, Tinderella and Desperate Pleasures. Harkness joins us to discuss her work, weightlifting and teaching comics. T…
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David Manning, World Class Championship Wrestling referee and booker, sits down with Paul & Zak to discuss his career in professional wrestling. David Manning was an integral part to the glory days of professional wrestling. David is a fantastic story teller and you’ll be enthralled with his tales! From working along side Frtiz Von Erich to messing…
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When the time came to put out a new record, Will Butler formed a band. Comprised of the group he’d toured with for his 2015 debut, Policy, Will Butler and Sister Squares released a 14 track self-titled album that is as reflective as is it is danceable. It’s the work of a mature artist, propelled by his two decades playing alongside older brother, W…
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Paul & Zak interview director and writer Sean Durkin to discuss his new A24 film, The Iron Claw! A24’s The Iron Claw is about one of the greatest wrestling families of all time, The Von Erichs! Sean Durkin discusses his motivation for making the film, the score by Richard Reed Parry, wrestling matches that inspired the film, and more! The Iron Claw…
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In 1989, a 23-year-old Chris Oliveros founded a quarterly publication that grew into one of the world’s most respect independent comics publishers. In 2015, he left the company after 25 years, in order to focus on his own work. Oliveros released The Envelope Manufacturer the following year, chronicling the titular character’s financial and mental s…
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In 2019, Jack Tatum and his wife made the move from Los Angeles to Virginia. As timing goes, the decision couldn't have been better, as they rode out the pandemic with considerably more space. Since then, the couple have had a son, a factor that weighs heavily on the themes of his latest, Hold. The album is his fifth as Wild Nothing, and his first …
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A few months ago, Joshua Cotter did something difficult: he asked for help. Social media posts detailing the number of copies his Nod Away series have sold struck a chord. If a supremely talented artist like Cotter can’t make a living at comics, what hope does anyone else have? Over the years, Cotter has crafted many excellent works, including Skys…
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Few bands reach the status of “institution.” It’s a qualifier that has applied to Barenaked Ladies for several decades now. Multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn has been a part of that journey since 1995, joining prior to the one-two punch of Born of a Pirate Ship and Stunt, the latter of which catapulted the already-popular band into the stratosphere…
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We pay tribute to “Nature Boy” Ric Flair putting over talent this month! Paul chose a 1982 match between Ric & Roddy Piper. While Zak went with Flair vs “Flyin” Brain Pillman from 1990. Links to matches and promos (if applicable) are below. Consider joining our Patreon and following our instagram (@territorymarks) for exclusive content and updates …
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Last night was a late one – a big show at Pappy and Harriets in Pioneertown, California, followed by the inevitable after party. Zia McCabe dials in from the passenger seat of the tour bus, slightly worse for wear, but sharp as ever. After nearly 30 years, the Dandy Warhols know the road like few others – and like even fewer, they’re still committe…
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"World Worth Keeping" is a joyful song of existential crisis, celebrating a planet as it stares down the face of climate change. It's a perfect microcosm of its creator's work, at once serious and playful, with a country twang and a great hook. Jaime Wyatt hasn't always had the easiest existence, dealing with substance abuse and a stint in jail, bu…
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Sixty-six million years ago, roughly three-quarters of the Earth’s plants and animals went extinct. As Riley Black notes, such deaths happened almost instantaneously. Those who survived asteroid impact perished shortly after. The Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event is the cheery topic that forms the basis of Black’s best-selling, The Last Days of…
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The Music of Heatmiser affords the titular band an occasion to step outside their own large shadow. It's an opportunity to judge the group on its own merit, beyond simply serving as a launchpad for its most famous member. College friends Neil Gust and Elliott Smith serve as the songwriting forces behind the Portland act, whose unreleased recordings…
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A dozen different songs about death. That's how one arrives at a title like Eulogy Volume 1. But not all deaths are equal. Some are metaphorical, representing a new beginning. Josh Radnor's first solo album finds him operating without the accomplished musical safety net that is longtime collaborator, Ben Lee. The actor/musician joins us to discuss …
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Territory Marks gets creepy with two matches from the territories that’ll get you in the Halloween mood! Zak’s pick, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes vs Purple Haze from Championship Wrestling From Florida (1984). The finale from this match will terrify and leave you speechless! While Paul’s choice, “Nature Boy” Buddy Landel vs Nightmare Freddy fr…
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This month marks 20 years since the Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? The Unicorns' sophomore album is a singular triumph for a group that was clearly too beautiful to live. But it didn't take Nick Thorburn long to regroup after his seminal high school band imploded. There have been countless musical projects along the way, but Islands stands …
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