Guys Of A Certain Age

This week The Guys are Art-less, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t get creative.  

Jay and Robbie stick to the music them of late, and discuss movies that are about music, but aren’t musicals.  Or music documentaries. Just good movies (most of them) that make you want to sing, play, cry, or all of the above.  And per the usual, Jay admitted he hadn't seen a “cult classic” - listen for the sound of crickets when Robbie throws out a reference - so his future appearances on this podcast are once again in jeopardy.  Thankfully, with Art gone, there is little to no singing in this episode.  

Geeks of the Week pay homage to a new holiday special coming soon to a  Bat-avision near you, an update on more movie timeline changes just announced, and perhaps some answers to why the ice cream machine is always broken at a certain fast food restaurant.  But they aren’t naming any Mc-Names.  

Don’t be afraid, dear listener of a certain age, but in this episode Art and Jay make a bold move: they pass on the spontaneous singing to Robbie.  It was quite a shock to all in the studio.  

Ok, he didn’t really sing, but it’s almost as bad. He actually watched a few episodes of AppleTv+’s streaming musical, Schmigadoon.  Turns out the “you may also enjoy” button that attempts to lure the viewing public into yet another binge ... is sometimes right.  The Guys (even Robbie) talk favorite songs, shout-outs to classic musicals, and the sheer joy it brought to two of them.  

And in Geek news this week, the food guy gets excited over a sweet announcement, Asimov returns to television (but not in a musical), and Captain America gets his wings.  Listen to this one and sing along.  

No doubt, listeners are hungry for part two of Robbie’s interview with Roland Mann.  

Mr. Mann takes the true believer through his Silverline journey with slight detours through fairy tales and classic American literature all they ay up to his latest Kickstarter.  And his inside connections on how to get a comic printed quickly.

Plus, Jay is (always) hungry and eager to eat in the newly opened Avengers Campus at Disney’s California Adventure.  Giant croutons, tiny sandwich buns, and perhaps a shawarma with the dude who looks strangely like Tony Stark? Art takes us to a Dark place, a place that used to be a movie and will soon become a television series.  

Robbie is considering travel as well, and is seeking a sponsor for The Guys’ 2022  live broadcast from the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World.  Go ahead - sell some of those NFT’s you’re not using anymore and The Guys will give you a shout-out!  Elite level sponsors will have their names pronounced correctly.  

This week's episode is extra big and extra special because it features comic book writer/editor/publisher Roland Mann of Silverline comics. Roland talks about his career in the comic book industry that started in a grocery story somewhere in 1970's Mississippi and took him to Marvel comics.

Never fear True Believers because Geeks Of The Week is also in here!

Jay explains his Geek of the Week process, using a metaphor.  Then he tells a story of a Hot Wheels car - a story that’s only about ten years old, which for him is almost like a current event.  Art brings everybody up to speed on a Widow who’s now saying to Disney, “You’re dead to me,” yet still hoping for an inheritance.  But wait, is Robbie also reaching into the past for his GOW? All the way back to 1975?  Was he even out of diapers then? Rest assured, old or not, his discovery is Fantastic.  

[Robbie's note: The cool Fantastic Four radio plays from the early 70's can be heard at Archive.org. Much more fun than some weird Hot Wheels stuff.]

Another week, another episode without Jay. Robbie and Art plow through anyway with Geeks of the Week that include a new live cover version of the classic Layla album, the search for the next Dr. Who, and some interesting speculation on "who" might be tapped as the new showrunner.

We also note the passing of Jonathan Rinzler, author of the Making of Star Wars and other favorite behind-the-scenes books.

In the second half, the Guys take a look at what has made Ted Lasso the breakout hit for Apple TV+. And seeking to cash in, Robbie and Art discuss a possible rip, er... SPIN-off, featuring Jay.

After spending the past year and a half stuck in front of our TVs, the Emmys may be more relevant than in the past.

With many of the Guys’ favorite shows nominated, albeit in odd categories, this Jayless episode features Robbie and Art making predictions on who will come home with the hardware.

Geeks of the Week include a He-Man series that may not have the power, a Netflix Marvel villain that may be moving to the MCU, and a GI Joe crime that will have you pulling your lifelike hair out.

It’s official!  Phase 4 of the GPU (Guys of a certain age Podcast Universe, in case you’ve forgotten or never knew) has begun!  Ok, maybe not  But Phase 4 of the MCU - a slightly more famous universe - has definitely begun.  Finally, another Marvel movie has hit theaters, and The Guys showed up to see Black Widow.  Spoiler alerts abound.  

Though there are definitely Phase 3 carryovers in this kick-off movie, The Guys agree that it was a good overall offering from Feige and Fam: action, ancestry, and angst that Marvel weaved into a solid origin story, as well as opportunities to branch the franchise.  

Despite the importance of this moment, The Guys give plenty of due to Geeks of the Week and more, with super-parodies, musical docs, and a new trailer for Robbie’s candidate for best science fiction story of all time. Robbie also gives respect to a mid-western violinist, then they go completely off the rails talking about billionaires in space. Just another day at the podcast.  

Another Disney+ Marvel limited series has completed its run, and the only “Thing That Remains” is a full analysis from The Guys.  Instead, you get the usual half an hour of bantering.  

It seems like Loki came and went quicker than a TVA pruning, and it left us with a lot to ponder.  In this episode, The Guys wax semi-eloquently on the subject of the identity of the dude at the edge of time and where he’ll show up next, choose their favorite Loki variant (and for once they all agree), and explore the idea of whether or not it’s creepy for Loki to kiss the female version of himself.  Herself.  Whatever.  (By the way, there be spoilers here, matey.)  

In the Geeks of the Week segment, the three talk Titans, torn toy arms, and taking Netflix in yet another direction.  Listen as The Guys (or their variants) live la vida Loki!

The Guys have been at this for well over two years now.  They’ve become a family with a weekly reunion, though they haven’t decided which one is Cousin Eddie.  But when they take a break from each other, they do occasionally go to reunions of the family they are actually related to.

 In this episode, they talk about the reunion many states away that Robbie is headed for, the one Art just had in his backyard, and the one Jay’s mother will attend in the near future.  Family reunions haven’t changed much over the years - there is a cadre of cousins whose names you may not remember, there is an enormous amount of food, and there is bound to be at least one attempt at a family photo.  The Guys chat about how all this has been affected by technology, from catching up with those cousins on social media (if not sneaking a peek at Facebook to recall the kids’ names), to using Apple watches, iPhones and Photoshop to get that picture made.

Unfortunately, we’re still waiting for Star Trek style replicators to do the cooking.  Listen, and you, too, can be part of the Guys of a Certain Age family.  T-shirt not included.  

It was a big week in the Guys’ home city.  Not only is it the nerve center of the podcast (and perhaps for some, the get-on-your-nerves center), it’s also the host city for the newly crowned NCAA baseball national champions.  And Robbie was there to see history made.  

In this week’s episode, the Guys take a look at historic sports events  - that is, events that they have personally attended, which, of course, in hindsight, made them even more historic.  Some were close to home, with personal meaning, while others required road trips to see Panthers, Pachyderms, and Cubs - oh my.  Take yet another walk down memory lane as these geeks talk sports, mostly observed from the press box or band section.  

They also talk about what’s coming next: who’s going to space on the next private rocket, which body part will Harrison Ford injure in the next classic movie sequel, and what superhero outfit will Jay wear next to the gym.  It’s a good thing this is audio.