The Oh Gosh, Oh Golly, Oh Wow! Podcast

Excalibur #18: "Wild Wild Wheels"

In this episode, manga scholar Dr. Mimi Okabe steers Anna, Mav, and Andrew through the mecha/shōjo/shōnen (?) inspired Excalibur #18, “Wild Wild Wheels!” Featuring cars, cars, and more cars plus a dirty pair of Adam Warren homages speeding through a world that worships racing, including star race car driver Jamie Braddock. We discuss the politics of intercultural exchange, historical interconnections between manga and superheroes, and the difference between parody and tribute. We also slam Kurt for scolding Kitty, and continue not explaining Widget. Anna knows nothing about manga or anime, but thankfully everyone else knows lots!

Excalibur #17: “From the Crucible—A Captain?”

In this episode, Anna, Mav, and Andrew are joined by Liz Large of ComicsXF to ride a “Warlord”-inspired hangover straight into a never-ending bacchanalian party, discussing drinking, dancing, and dueling in Excalibur #17, “From the Crucible—A Captain?” When we’re not unpacking what might be the series’ most explicit sex scene (featuring none other than Alistaire Stuart), we work through the re-traumatization of Rachel and make a rare detour into the present, discussing depictions of sexuality—and Nightcrawler—in current X-Men comics. Also, we read a very important missive from “Meggan fans everywhere” courtesy of the Sword Strokes letters page.        

Excalibur #16: "Warlord"

Some people say you shouldn’t go full Nightcrawler. The GGW pod disagrees. Especially Anna, Kurt Wagner’s (Unofficial) PR Manager, who’s hoping he’ll be hiring her in an official capacity after this episode on the sword and sorcery extravaganza that is Excalibur #16, "Warlord." Comics scholar Dr. Keith Friedlander falls from the sky onto the deck of our sleek pirate corsair to talk swashbuckling, lust, consent, and Kitty’s first kill. And Nightcrawler. So. Much. Nightcrawler. (Almost all of him, in fact!) Basically: if you’ve ever wanted to listen to a serious academic discussion about the gender fluid symbology of a certain prehensile tail, this ep’s for you.

Excalibur #15: "Technet: Impossible Missions!"

In this episode, Dazzler stan and all-around X-Men aficionado Dr. Nicholas Miller joins Anna, Mav, and Andrew to talk serious political allegories and equally serious gender play in Excalibur #15, "Technet: Impossible Missions!" We work through conflicted feelings about an affecting but messy story invoking imperialism & apartheid before fully embracing the rainbow of possibilities ignited by Brian's most important moment of character growth to date: a two-panel sequence in which he admits he enjoyed dancing with Kurt in very fabulous drag. Plus: Gatecrasher-as-protagonist and The Importance of Vampire Kitty.

"Mojo Mayhem"

In this episode, we laugh, we cry, we over-intellectualize the self-reflexivity of itty-bitty X-Men on the run from the spineless dictator of a reality TV-based hellscape. Which can only mean one thing: we’re talking about “Mojo Mayhem,” the second Excalibur special and the first to co-star Sugah, Wolvie, Lil Dazzler, Lil Havok, Shower, Lil Longshot, Colossusus, and Psychilde—otherwise known as the X-Babies! Children’s comics expert Dr. Gwen Tarbox joins Anna, Mav, and Andrew to talk rhetorical functions of children in comics, the revolutionary power of granting children agency, and why “Mojo Mayhem” is actually a story about loss, grief, depression… and healing. But will the pod ever heal from Andrew and Mav’s incredulous reaction to Anna’s X-Babies indifference…?          

Excalibur #14: "Too Many Heroes"

Summer’s rolling in, which means it’s time for an epic crossover! Anna, Mav, and Andrew are joined by Sean Ross of the Secret Wars & Beyond Podcast to slice-and-dice our way through the too-silly-to-exist shenanigans of Excalibur #14, “Too Many Heroes,” featuring appearances by the Silver Skateboarder, Deathlok-Captain America, a too-giant Giant Man, and… Chris Claremont and John Byrne? Amid this tidal wave of mayhem, we retreat to the safety of Phoenix force cocoons to discuss the history, pain, and joy of crossovers, Excalibur’s still-deft character work, and how clothes make the mutant. Plus, Sean convinces us the name of our podcast is deeply meaningful and not a silly inside joke, as we’d first assumed.

Excalibur #13: ”The Marriage of True Minds”

What do Gloria Anzaldúa, Donna Haraway, and Kitty Pryde have in common? Find out in this week’s discussion of Excalibur #13, “The Marriage of True Minds,” where Anna, Mav, and Andrew are graced by the intersectional insights of comics scholar & queer archives specialist Dr. Margaret Galvan! Topics include the multivalent feminism of one K. Pryde, the queered metamorphoses of one Nigel Frobisher, the mysterious selective face-blindness of one Brian Braddock, and the multitudinous pleasures of one Alan Davis page.         

Excalibur #12: "My Friends Call Me Billy the Kid!"

In this episode, Alan Davis is back and Excalibur’s gone—on the Cross-Time Caper, that is! Anna, Mav, and Andrew are joined by educator, supermom, and Excalibur superfan Kathy Stevens to talk Excalibur #12: “My Friends Call Me Billy the Kid!” We're off the rails and back on track with an issue featuring zero Nazis and lots of sexy dryads, tentacle monsters, butch ogres, sex and gender-bending transformations, and a marriage proposal…? We hash out all of that, plus the subjective-ness of shipping and why Anna definitely needs to stay away from Joyboy.

Excalibur #11: ”The Price”

This episode, talking Excalibur #11: “The Price,” is a pod-friends reunion as Anna, Mav, and Andrew are joined by Dr. Michael Hancock, the self-proclaimed “Beta Ray Bill of comics and games research” and co-host of Three Panel Contrast (aka Andrew & Anna’s other/OG podcast!). There’s less Nazis but more (friendly!) griping about another Alan Davis-less issue that focuses on a love triangle (most of us) hate and spends entirely too much time trying to make Nigel Frobisher happen. Also, Anna’s got *lots* of thoughts about a scene where Kurt experiences a world-tilting revelation that ultimately reveals nothing but a bushel of wrong ideas about what makes him tick.

Excalibur #10: "Widget"

In this episode, Anna, Mav, and Andrew team up with Dr. Travis Smith, author of Superhero Ethics, to discuss the ethically fraught Excalibur #10: “Widget,” in which Brian spends way too many pages punching his Nazi counterpart, while Kitty finds a new (inappropriate) crush and confronts a disturbing demon self. We do the most complaining we’ve ever done, but talk ourselves into talking about fight choreography, the dangers of compromise, the heartbreak of rushed fill-in art, and what a responsible Nazi doppelganger story might look like (spoiler: not like this).